The Beat of Your Heart
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: MODERN AU. An add in the newspaper with the headline "DRUMMER WANTED!" catches Hiccup's attention, and he answers the call, meeting up with the more-or-less mentally disturbed members of The Dragon's Edge. Even though they're as strange as strange gets, Hiccup finds himself at home.
1. Welcome to Dragon's Edge

_**CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO DRAGON'S EDGE**_

 **DAY: AUGUST 21  
** **TIME: 4:32 PM  
** **YEAR: 2014**

Hiccup Haddock looked down at a piece of newspaper clipping he had snipped from yesterday's paper. He glanced down, and then back up at the shack-like music shop in front of him.

"Um...okay," he said, looking back down at the newspaper clipping, "it says on the corner of Berk street. This must be it."

The black border collie sitting obediently beside Hiccup woofed in agreement. Hiccup still didn't understand, though. He looked back up from the add in the newspaper to the music shop. He wore a black fedora over his uneven auburn hair, and his eyes were such a deep green it was almost unnatural.

"I know, Toothless," Hiccup said to the dog, "but I'm still not so sure this is the right place…"

He saw a sign pinned to the window, and he stepped forward to investigate. In black blocky letters that looked like they had been drawn with a sharpie, a message was written:

 _Dragon's Edge Headquarters._

 _Drummer wanted._

 _See newspaper add._

 _IGNORE THIS SIGN._

 _WAIT TOO LATE._

 _NEVERMIND._

 _GO AWAY._

Hiccup frowned. "Um…" He looked down at the newspaper add once again, checking to make sure he had the right address. "I think this is it," he said. He stepped towards the door, paused, and then pushed it open, Toothless walking beside him.

A ringing bell alerted his presence, and he stepped inside, glancing around. It was well-furnished with tan couches and bookshelves stocked with old CDs and books. An overflowing box of guitar chords was shoved hastily into a corner, and a large amplifier stood beside it.

"Hello," said a low voice, and Hiccup turned his head. Sitting behind a wooden, scratched desk was a boy and a girl, both with long, blond hair, leaning back in rolling chairs, their feet propped up on the desk. The boy had brown eyes, and the girl had blue eyes; the boy's hair was dreadlocked, and the girl's was triple braided (two down her shoulders, one down her back); other than that, they looked exactly the same.

The boy pushed his ballcap further up his forehead and stared at Hiccup. "Who let you in?" he said.

"Um...I saw your add in the paper," said Hiccup, laying the piece of newspaper clipping on the desk. The boy pulled his feet off the desk and leaned forward, snatching up the newspaper and reading it thoroughly.

"Interesting," he said, scratching his chin. " _Very_ interesting...how do I know you're not some sort of imposter?"

"Imposter?" Hiccup said, regretting his decision to come here at all. "Um...I was just…"

"IMPOSTER," said the girl, leaping to her feet, leaning over the desk, and pointing accusingly. "WHY DON'T YOU-" She froze suddenly, eyes falling on the border collie sitting obediently at Hiccup's side. The girl's eyes went wide.

"PUPPY!" she shrieked, and she leapt over the desk - literally _leapt over it_ \- and hugged Toothless tightly. Toothless licked her face and looked up at Hiccup, clearly confused.

"Uh...okay…?" Hiccup said.

"He has a _puppy_ , Tuffnut!" said the girl excitedly. "WE HAVE TO KEEP HIM!"

The boy, Tuffnut, looked at them skeptically. "Well, I guess…" He glanced at Hiccup as if seeing him for the first time and gasped. "Nice shirt," he said.

Hiccup glanced down; he was wearing his favorite _Imagine Dragons_ shirt, which was black with blocky white letters. "Um, thanks," he said. "Yeah, they're my favorite band-"

"ME TOO!" shouted Tuffnut, leaning over and shaking Hiccup's hand vigorously. "My name's Tuffnut! What about you?"

Hiccup didn't even have the chance to answer before the door to the back room opened, and a chubby boy with short blond hair wearing a blue and grey t-shirt and jeans raced into the room.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut, don't scare him away!" the boy chastised, and Tuffnut leapt backwards, crossing his arms and putting his feet up on the desk again. The girl, Ruffnut, finally released her hold on Toothless and got to her feet, brushing fur off her white shirt and black skirt.

The chubby boy cleared his throat and held out his hand. "My name is Finley," he said, and Hiccup shook his hand.

"I'm Hickory," said Hiccup.

"Stupid name!" shouted Tuffnut, now flipping through a music magazine. "Change it!"

" _Tuffnut!"_ groaned Finley, rolling his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Hickory. We all have code-names around here. See, Rachel's code-name is Ruffnut, and Timothy's code-name is Tuffnut."

"That's me!" said Tuffnut, throwing his magazine in the air and grinning; he shouted, "OW!" when the thick magazine fell back on his head.

"And my code-name is Fishlegs," said Finley, rolling his eyes. "Even though I _still_ don't know _why_."

"It was originally Guppylegs," said Tuffnut, "because he was so scared of everything."

"I was not!" objected Fishlegs, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, but that changed to Fishlegs," said Ruffnut. "It rolls _trippingly_ off the tongue."

"Right...okay," said Hiccup, still unsure about the entire situation. "So, I saw your add in the newspaper, thought maybe I'd try out, see if you could use me."

"That's _great!"_ said Fishlegs, face brightening up. "We've only had one other person come over...the _twins_ ," Fishlegs jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Ruffnut and Tuffnut, "scared them off."

"Well, we have standards we want our drummer to be able to follow!" said Tuffnut defensively. "First of all, he has to be able to tolerate us, if he can get past our really misleading sign on the window."

Fishlegs gasped. "I told you to take that down _weeks_ ago!" he scolded, but Tuffnut wasn't listening.  
"Once the drummer can do that," said Tuffnut, "he's already halfway there."

"There's also the little part about having more than five years of experience," said Ruffnut. "We only accept the best of the best, you know."

"Yes, I do know," said Hiccup. "And I have eight years of experience. I've been playing since I was nine."

"Awesome!" said Tuffnut. "So, you can tolerate us, _and_ play drums! Perfect! Now, we just need to see if the rest of the group likes you…"

Tuffnut turned and raced towards the back door, flinging it open and racing inside. Ruffnut followed him, and soon after, so did Fishlegs and Hiccup, Toothless trotting behind his master.

The back room wasn't much different than the front room, only this time, there were instruments in the place of bookshelves; a drum set, keyboard, and electric guitar, along with bags of cords and sheet music.

Laying back on one of the couches was a boy with spiky black hair, toned muscles, and a scowl that said he would have rather been anywhere by there. He glanced carelessly up at Fishlegs, the twins, and Hiccup as they entered.

"Snotlout, this is Hickory," said Fishlegs.

"Snotlout?" said Hiccup incredigiously.

"That name was _earned_ ," said Ruffnut, nodding. "It was originally Snot- _Loud_ , 'cause that's what he is, but yeah, changed it. It's catchier now. _Snotlout_."

Snotlout groaned and rolled his eyes. "I thought I heard the bell ring," he said, extending his hand to Hiccup. "Welcome aboard, newby."

"Er, thanks…?" He shook his head. These people were weird, but he felt, oddly enough, at home: after all, he could be weird and talkative if he wanted to, too. "So, what part do you play in the band?"

"Eh, I'm a backup guitarist," said Snotlout, making a seesaw with his hand. "And I'm also the lead singer. Believe it or not, I have a _great_ singing voice!"

"Well, I wouldn't say _great-"_

"No one asked you, Fishlegs!"

"And what about you, Fishlegs?" said Hiccup.

"Oh...I alternate between bass and keyboards," said Fishlegs, shrugging. "We don't use a whole lot of bass in our music, though, so I'm primarily keyboard."

"Nice," said Hiccup. "What about Ruffnut and Tuffnut?"

"Sound management!" said Tuffnut. "Bit of a warning, though...we _love_ to play tricks! One time, we made feedback so loudly it shattered the windows!"

"And another time," said Ruffnut, "we had the police called on us, because someone thought the feedback was a gunfire. That was so funny…"

" _Veerrrry_ awkward, though," said Tuffnut, nodding seriously. " _Very_ awkward."

"Oh, and we take care of graphic designs, you know, for t-shirts and stuff," said Ruffnut as an afterthought. "We made our logo! Or, we're sort of in the _making_ of making our logo. It's going great so far! We're just trying to figure out where we can get a cool picture of a dragon…"

"Why can't there be dragons around here to take cool pictures of?" said Tuffnut. "WHY!?"

"Aannnnd welcome to a normal day at Dragon's Edge headquarters," moaned Snotlout, swinging his steel-toed boots off the couch and getting to his feet. "Anyways, you want a coke or something, newby?"

"Erm, sure," said Hiccup. "Thanks."

"Nice dog, by the way," Snotlout said, making his way towards a small fridge set beside another amplifier. "What's his name?"

"Toothless," said Hiccup, reaching down to scratch his dog, who was sitting obediently beside him, behind the ears.

Snotlout chortled, kicking the fridge shut with his boot and handing Hiccup a can of coke. "Toothless?" he said. "Where'd you pull _that_ out of the hat? Sounds like one of the stupid code-names _we_ would come up with."

"Well, when we picked him out from the shelter," said Hiccup, "he was missing half of his teeth."

"Huh," said Tuffnut. "Interesting...I know! He can be our mascot!"

"Mascot?" said Ruffnut.

"Yes!" said Tuffnut. "Toothless, mascot of the Dragon's Edge! I like the way that sounds!"

"You like the way everything sounds as long as it has the word 'dragon' in it," said Snotlout, crossing his arms.

"That," said Tuffnut, "is _not_ true! Oh, wait…" He paused to reconsider. "Not _entirely_ true!"

"What are you guys talking about?" came a shout from across the room, and a girl stepped up behind the couch. She had blonde hair braided over one shoulder and a leather jacket with silver spikes on the shoulders. Her headband was like a spiked dog collar, and she looked at Hiccup curiously, blue eyes blinking at him.

"Huh," she said, "drummer?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Hopefully."

She extended a hand to him and shook his - her grip was firm. "I'm Astrid," she said. "You?"

"Hickory," said Hiccup.

"We're still trying to give him a code-name," said Tuffnut as if in defense.

"And is Astrid your code-name?" Hiccup asked, withdrawing his hand.

Astrid shook her head. "Nope," she said, "definitely not."

"She wouldn't let us give her a code-name," said Ruffnut dejectedly, crossing her arms. "Pouty, spoiled sport…"

"I heard that," growled Astrid, and Ruffnut backed off, putting up her hands in surrender. "Anyways...welcome to Dragon's Edge, Hickory."

"That's the name of our band," said Tuffnut, nodding excitedly. "Although you probably knew that, seeing the add in the paper and all…"

"Yeah, I did," said Hiccup. "I like the name. It's cool. So, Astrid, what do you do in the band?"

"Lead guitarist," said Astrid, shrugging. "It's pretty fun. Have you ever been in a band before?"

"Never," said Hiccup. "This is the first."

"Well, before we do _anything_ else," said Tuffnut, clapping his hands together, "we need to give you a code-name! It has to be something awesome...something _epic_...if you're really going to stick with us and be our drummer, you've gotta have a code-name first!"

"Um...shouldn't you decide whether you actually _want_ me as a drummer before you go giving me a code-name?" Hiccup deadpanned.

"NO!" said Ruffnut, throwing her arm around Hiccup's shoulders, making him flinch. "PRIORITIES! Code-name comes first!"

"And anyways," said Snotlout, popping open his can of soda, "if you're a good drummer, and you made it past Tuffnut and Ruffnut at the door, I think you're good. Welcome to the team."

"Alright!" said Tuffnut, rubbing his hands together. "It has to be something that sounds somewhat like your own name…but it also has to be awesome..." He gasped excitedly. "I know!" he said. "Hiccup! That can be your code-name!"

Snotlout choked on his coke and coughed into his fist for a few minutes. " _Hiccup!?"_ he said. "Okay, look, we've come up with some stupid code-names in the past, but there is _no way_ we are calling our drummer Hiccup."

"We're not trying to scare him off, Tuffnut," said Fishlegs, crossing his arms.

"I know we're not!" said Tuffnut defensively. "I was just helping out!"

"Funny you would mention it," said Hiccup, shrugging. "My Dad used to call me that when I was little."

"So you're okay with the name?" said Tuffnut.

"Erm…"

"GREAT!" said Tuffnut, grinning. "Welcome aboard, Hiccup!"

…

 **DAY: JUNE 13  
** **TIME: 12:47 PM  
** **YEAR: 2016**

"COME ON, HICCUP! ASTRID! HURRY UP!" Snotlout shouted, pressing down repeatedly on the horn of their van. "YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE US LATE!"

Hiccup raced back and forth across the room, grabbing his drumsticks, which he had left out after yesterday's practice, and a duffel bag full of Snotlout's guitar chords. It had been two years since that one fateful day when Hiccup answered the request to become a drummer, and he felt more at home with the members of Dragon's Edge than he had with anyone else.

Astrid, too, hurried across the room. She clipped a spiked bracelet to her wrist and another spiked headband around her head, so her bangs flopped over it. "Come on, Hiccup," she said, "we gotta go."

"I know that, milady," Hiccup said, grabbing his fedora and pulling it over his head. "Our first gig, and looks like we're going to be late."

"Oh, shut up, you," Astrid smirked at him. "It'll be fine. Ready?"

"Ready," Hiccup agreed, and they grabbed each other's hand and raced out, locking the door behind them, making sure Toothless was still inside beforehand.

"COME ON!" Snotlout moaned, honking the horn again. Hiccup and Astrid leapt into the backseat of their traveling van, and as soon as the doors were shut, Snotlout sped off down the empty street.

"WHOOHOO!" cheered Tuffnut, throwing his hands into the air - he was riding shotgun beside Snotlout. "Come on, everyone!" He pulled out his phone and held it out at arm's length. "Selfie!"

The rest of the band posed, and Tuffnut snapped the shot.

"Awesome! Thanks!" said Tuffnut, grinning as he looked at the picture. "That's definitely one for the album!"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **So I got this idea that I couldn't get out of my head and decided to write it down for your guys' enjoyments. :) I hope you enjoyed it! :D I might consider writing an entire one-shot series in this universe, like, Dragon's Edge's first practice together as a band, getting their first gig…**

 **And of course, I could write about Hiccup losing his leg...AND THE DRAMA UNFOLDS. :D**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! :D**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


	2. First Rehearsal

_**CHAPTER 2: FIRST REHEARSAL**_

 **DAY: AUGUST 22  
** **TIME: 4:07 PM  
** **YEAR: 2014**

Hiccup pushed the door open to Dragon's Edge Headquarters, school backpack still slung around his shoulder. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were sitting at the desk, wearing their usual white shirts and black pants (though Ruffnut was wearing a skirt). Tuffnut looked up from his magazine at Hiccup and grinned.

"Ah, there you are!" he said, setting down the magazine at the desk and getting to his feet. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming, Hiccup!"

"Did you bring Toothless with you?" said Ruffnut excitedly.

"Um, yeah," said Hiccup, gesturing to the spot beside him; the fluffy border collie Toothless barked at Ruffnut happily. With a _squee!_ of happiness, Ruffnut leaned over the desk and patted his head.

"So…" said Tuffnut, putting his hands together. He suddenly leaned forward, staring straight into Hiccup's eyes. "What are you doing here?" he said lowly.

"Um, well, you _did_ tell me to meet you here today," said Hiccup, still feeling a bit out of place; he had only known Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and the other band members since yesterday. It was a bit of a lot to take in.

"Haha, I'm just messin' with you, Hiccup!" said Tuffnut, slapping Hiccup on the shoulder.

Hiccup swallowed. _Random_. "Thanks," he said. "So, what are we doing…?"

"Rehearsing!" said Tuffnut, Ruffnut standing beside him. "The other guys are waiting for us in the back to start rehearsal! We want to see what you got, dude!"

Hiccup set his backpack against the floor, unzipped it, and pulled out two drumsticks, which he had carried around with him the whole day until now. He followed Tuffnut and Ruffnut into the back room, where the music equipment was stored.

"Toothless, wait here," Hiccup said, and Toothless nodded obediently and laid down in front of the desk. Hiccup smiled at his dog one last time before following the twins into their music room.

"Aha, there you are, newby!" called Snotlout, a guitar strapped around his neck and shoulder. He was fiddling with one of the chords, trying to plug his mic into the amplifier. "Looks like I owe Tuffnut five bucks!"

"Wait...you guys made _bets_ on whether or not he'd show up?" said Fishlegs, standing behind their keyboard, looking at Snotlout skeptically.

"Hey," said Snotlout, "I thought maybe the guy would ditch us while he could. Y'know, the twins are pretty creepy."

"WE ARE NOT!" shouted Ruffnut. "You are going to pay for that, Jorgenson…" She stood behind their sound booth and fiddled with the switches; as soon as Snotlout plugged in his mic, there was a loud _SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!_ of feedback. Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout clamped their hands over their ears.

"TURN IT OFF, _TURN IT OFF!"_ shouted Snotlout furiously. "OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY!"

The feedback ended when Ruffnut and Tuffnut fiddled with another few switches. "There," said Ruffnut, smirking in satisfaction.

"I hate all of you!" Snotlout yelled furiously. "Right! Okay, Hiccup, you can try out the drum set if you want…"

Hiccup nodded and sat on the drum stool behind the drum set. It was silver, and on the front of the kick drum, words read _DRAGON'S EDGE_ in lightning-bolt like letters. The silhouette of a dragon backdropped the white letters.

"Okay!" said Snotlout, turning around. "So basically, we're just gonna be fooling around, not doing anything in particular...we could try improving some stuff, y'know, just to feel our way around…"

"Awesome," said Hiccup, taking up his sticks. "This is a nice set."

"Yeah," said Snotlout, "my dad gave it to us. He used to play. Anyways…" He strummed a single chord on the guitar - all the notes came out either flat or sharp, making it sound awful. "What in the…" Snotlout said. "I just tuned this an hour ago!"

In the sound booth behind them, giggling could be heard.

"RUFFNUT AND TUFFNUT!" shouted Snotlout, grabbing his guitar tuner and working to tune the guitar for the second time that day. "You have _got_ to be _kidding me!"_

"Lay it off, Snotlout," said Astrid, pulling her electric guitar back over her shoulder. The skirt she was wearing was black with spikes, so it matched her leather jacket and spiked headband perfectly. "They're just messing with you. They do that from time to time."

"I _know_ that!" snapped Snotlout, finally tuning the last string on his guitar and setting the tuner back to the side.

"Don't _fret,_ Snotlout!" cackled Tuffnut. "You have _A-Major_ problem!"

 _Ba-dum-ta!_

" _Hiccup!"_ moaned Snotlout, while Ruffnut and Tuffnut roared with laughter.

Hiccup smiled and shrugged. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"ANYWAYS," said Snotlout, glaring at the twins, who instantly tried (and failed) to regain their composure, "we are going to _practice_ , and we are going to do it _right!_ Come on, Hiccup! Give me a fast drum beat, four-four time!"

"Okay," Hiccup said, and he counted mentally to himself and started drumming. After a few more moments, Snotlout nodded.

"Yeah, you're pretty good," he said. "Now let's see if you can keep up with me."

"I'm sure I can," Hiccup said determindly.

Snotlout strummed on his electric guitar; it was very much in-tune and actually sounded pretty cool. He picked out a four chord progression and stepped up to his mic.

"Okay, guys," he said into the mic, as Ruffnut and Tuffnut adjusted the sound, "this one goes out to my girl, Astrid Hofferson."

Astrid put her hands on her hips.

"Relax!" said Snotlout. "I'm just gonna improvise! Ready, Hiccup?"

"I've _been_ ready," said Hiccup.

"In that case," said Snotlout, "let's do this! Keep up with me! Don't drag!"

Snotlout paused again, picked out his first lyrics, and sang, improving along the way with his chords and lyrics.

"Astrid Hofferson lived down the block,  
"And all her friends from school really liked to rock,  
"At first she said no and shook her head,  
"But she changed her mind and became our guitarist instead!

"After school they started rehearsal,  
"They practiced real hard so they would be universal  
"And the drummer was good yet a little bit odd,  
"But the guitarist really left the audience awed!

"Astrid Hofferson was still in denial.  
"She threatened to delete her friends off of speed dial,  
"But still in the end she started to strum.  
"And her music career has finally begun!

"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"She is Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson, SING!"

He looked at Astrid expectantly, waited a measure or two, and then went on, rolling his eyes.

"She just stands there, lookin' really mad,  
"And it's easy to see why, 'cause this song is really bad,  
"But improvisation is my destination,  
"And if we're lucky we will sweep this whole entire nation!

"After school, they rehearsed once more,  
"Although to most of the members it was mainly a bore.  
"Astrid said it was a waste of time,  
"But obviously enough she doesn't know how to rhyme!

"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"She is Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson, RHYME!"

Astrid balled her fist threateningly. "Snotlout," she said warningly, "if you continue, I am going to-"

Snotlout ignored her entirely.

"Now her fists are balled and it's probably my fault  
"It's probably time to bring this song to a halt,  
"But I can't do that, 'cause we've only just begun.  
"And in my own opinion this is really really fun!

"To conclude so I can reconcile,  
"Our fame will spread and people will be dancing down the aisle.  
"'Cause you see, my friends, our fame will spread.  
"BUT BY THE TIME WE'RE POPULAR WE'LL PROBABLY BE DEAD!

"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"She is Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"Astrid Hofferson!  
"ASTRID HOFFERSON!"

Hiccup hit one last symbol and bent over nearly double, he was laughing so hard. Fishlegs and Snotlout quickly joined in, followed by Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who weren't even trying to stay composed as they fell out of their sound booth chairs and rolled on the floor, cackling so hard they were in danger of not breathing.

Astrid was the only one in the bunch who looked completely unamused, and she rolled her eyes, tossing her hair.

"Hey, Hiccup," said Snotlout, reaching over to shake his hand, "you're not bad!"

"That was hilarious!" Hiccup said giddily once he stopped laughing long enough to speak, shaking snotlout's hand back. "You should totally write those words down!"

"Do it," Astrid threatened, "and it will be the last thing you ever do."

"Well, I think it's settled!" said Fishlegs. "Hiccup, you are now an official member of Dragon's Edge!"

"Yes!" said Hiccup, twirling his drumstick in celebration. "Awesome!"

"We can exchange phone numbers," said Snotlout, handing Hiccup his phone. "Just punch in your number. I'll text you next time we practice."

"Okay, awesome," said Hiccup, dialing his number into the phone and handing it back to Snotlout. "That sounds amazing-"

 _SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!_

 _"RUFFNUT AND TUFFNUT!"_ Snotlout yelled furiously.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Admittedly, I was surprised by the response this story got! I know it's probably not the best story I've done, but a lot of you liked it and wanted me to continue it, so that's what I'm doing! :D**

 **So, I got some ideas from the amazing "Forever Me", so I think I'm going to put some of that in! You'll see it next chapter...I'm still working on the chapter title, but I think it's going to be something along the lines of "Battle of the Bands" or something like that. I think you guys are going to like it. :)**

 **Oh, and just so you know, this'll be a series of one-shots (but there will definitely be two-three-four parter one-shots in this series), and they WILL NOT be posted in chronological order (hence the day/time/year guidelines at the beginning of the chapter).**

 **So yeah! Just keep that in mind, and read the date/time/year before you read the chapter! :D Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this, sorry for the long A/N, and I'll see you guys later! :D**

 **OH, ONE LAST THING: I KNOW A LOT ABOUT MUSIC AND STUFF, SO YEAH, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. XD Just wanted to get that out htere! :D XD**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


	3. Battle of the Bands

**It's official, guys. I have gone updating crazy. I MEAN, LOOK AT EVERYTHING I UPDATED TODAY! THREE UPDATES ON "TEACH A SOLDIER TO FIGHT", ONE UPDATE ON "OUCH!", AND NOW TWO UPDATES ON THIS STORY! GOSH I LOVE SPRING BREAK! XD ANYWAYS, LET ME KNOW IF YOU THINK I'M UPDATING TOO FAST (is that even possible?) AND I'LL SEE YOU ALL NEXT CHAPTER, WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE POSTED AT LEAST SEMILY SOON. REMEMBER, I HAVE NO ACTUAL UPDATING SCHEDULE FOR THIS PIECE! :D ENJOY! XD**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 3: BATTLE OF THE BANDS**_

 **DAY: JANUARY 15  
** **TIME: 5:27 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

It was a lazy day at Dragon's Edge Headquarters; probably one of the laziest the members of Dragon's Edge had ever experienced. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut played cards at the table, and Hiccup and Astrid sat beside each other on the couch, scrolling through their social medias on their phones.

"Ha! Royal flush! I win!" called Ruffnut triumphantly, throwing herself over the pot of nuts they were betting against each other and pulling them towards her. "Yes! Now, I get _all_ the cashews! No cashews for _you!"_ She waved a nut in Snotlout's face before chomping down on it.

"I'm bored," moaned Snotlout, as Fishlegs reshuffled the cards for the fourth time that day. "When is Tuffnut going to get back with those sodas? I texted him at least an hour ago and told him to get his rear end back here."

"I'm sure he's on his way, Snotlout," said Astrid halfheartedly, never once looking up from her phone. "Hey Hiccup, these are cool drumsticks, aren't they?" She showed Hiccup the picture on her phone, and Hiccup nodded.

"Those are awesome," he said. "Definitely worth asking my dad for an advance on my allowance."

"How is your dad, Hiccup?" said Snotlout absentmindedly. "He still overseas?"

"Yeah," said Hiccup, "but he should be back in a few weeks."

The door to their music room suddenly flew open, and Tuffnut charged inside, waving a piece of paper over his head.

"Oh man, guys! Guys!" he said, out of breath, but still optimistic all the same. "Have I got news for _you!"_

"Do you have _drinks_ for us, too?" said Snotlout, crossing his arms.

"Oh...yeah," said Tuffnut, "they're in the lobby, but get this!" He waved the paper around again, right in Snotlout's face. This time, Snotlout snatched it out of his hands and read over it.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, getting to his feet and making his way over.

"This, dear Hiccup," said Tuffnut, throwing an arm around Hiccup's shoulders, "is our _destiny_."

"Destiny?" said Astrid, also getting to her feet and heading over. "I've heard that one before. What is it?"

Snotlout looked over the paper, and then, suddenly, his face broke out into a grin. "Guys!" he said, throwing the paper over his head in excitement. "This is amazing! This is our chance!"

"Our chance to _what,_ Snotlout?" said Fishlegs, taking up the piece of paper and looking it over.

"What about it, Fishlegs?" said Astrid, putting a hand on her hip.

"It's a flier," said Fishlegs, "for this year's annual Battle of the Bands."

"Battle of the Bands?" said Hiccup, and Fishlegs handed the flier over, and he read it:

 _ **BERK UNIVERSITY ANNUAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS**_

 _Calling all bands, far and near! Do you think you have what it takes to be a star!? Well, step right up, and bring you, your band, and your instruments to Berk University on the first day of summer to compete in the Battle of the Bands!_

 _The winner of the competition will be awarded a trophy and a total prize money of $1,000! So, if you think your band has what it takes, come on down to this year's annual Battle of the Bands!_

 _(IMPORTANT: All bands must submit themselves to the contest and mail in the $100 entry fee no later than MAY 31. All bands are required to bring their own instruments and gear)._

 _Last Year's Winner: Red Death_

 _Last Year's Runner-Up: The Nadder Sisters_

 _Five-Year Reigning Champions: Red Death_

"Oh my flippin' _flapjacks!"_ said Ruffnut, smacking her head against Tuffnut's - Hiccup had learned the hard way that whenever one of the twins were in a good mood, they celebrated it by bashing their heads against the person nearest to them. "We _have_ to enter! We _have_ to!"

"Only a hundred dollar entry fee?" said Astrid. "If we each give a little under twenty bucks, we're in!"

"This is amazing!" said Snotlout, snatching the flier away from Hiccup again and reading over it as if it were too good to be true. "This is so...so...oh my... _WOW_."

"Who are the Red Deaths?" Hiccup asked out of the blue. "They won five years in a row, it looks like…"

The mood of the room instantly darkened. Snotlout scowled, glaring at the wall, and Astrid breathed harsher than usual.

"The Red Death," said Snotlout.

"More like a street gang than a band if you ask me," said Ruffnut, leaning over the back of the couch lazily. "Their band leader was just released from prison a few weeks ago. I don't remember what his crimes were, though...but he was in there for quite a while…"

"The Red Deaths are _insane_ ," said Astrid. "They've always been insane. They'll do anything to win, even if it involves cheating. Cheating and them are like two peas in a pod. You really can't have one without the other."

"Yeah," said Snotlout. "The leader of their band...I think it was Dagur, or something...something really stupid and crazy, I know that...he's insane, he is, really. That's the best way to put it. He's done some prison time. A _lot_ of prison time, actually."

"Comforting," said Hiccup. "Do they know we exist?" He hoped not.

"Yeah, I think they do," said Fishlegs. "Two years ago at the Battle of the Bands, Snotlout tried to audition us in, but unfortunately, we didn't have a drummer, so that didn't exactly work well."

"Snotlout and Dagur had a bit of a run-in as we were leaving," said Tuffnut, draping himself over the back of the couch beside Ruffnut. "Dagur's a pretty scary lookin' dude, I'll give him that. There's a really weird scar on his face, too. It makes him look insane."

"Basically," said Fishlegs, "it ended with a six-month restraining order for Snotlout."

"I didn't hit him _that_ hard…" muttered Snotlout darkly.

"Yeah," said Astrid, "but us and the Red Deaths have been rivals ever since."

"Well, I hope I never have the displeasure of meeting this _Dagur_ guy," said Hiccup. "He sounds like a psycho."

Then, suddenly, they heard the front door of their headquarters open, followed by heavy footsteps. Hiccup, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Astrid froze, turning towards the still closed door leading to their back room. Toothless got up from his dog bed, which had been Ruffnut's idea, and stood at Hiccup's side, barring his teeth at the door.

"Um…" said Hiccup uncertainly. "Any idea who that is?"

Snotlout moaned. "I should have known," he groaned. "The Red Deaths, they always come and gloat in our faces about their stupid victories, whenever the flier first comes out…"

The door was thrown open.

Three people walked in: two of them looked perfectly normal, wearing biker jackets with the name _RED DEATH_ branded on its breast pocket in flame-like letters. But the first one, the one standing in front of the other two, looked as insane as insane got. He had spiky red hair that stood up straight and jagged facial hair that looked like it had been shaved unevenly. His eyes were wide, wild, and a startling, sickly green. He wore the same biker jacket and steel-toed boots as the other two, but it was clear by the way he stood that he was in charge.

He was Dagur.

"Well, well, well," said Dagur, cackling, crossing his arms. Toothless growled lowly, like a wolf waiting to pounce. "Lookie who we have here. The Dragon's Edge have finally gotten themselves a drummer. I noticed you took down that sign in the window. How long was it there beforehand? Three years?"

"Buzz off, Dagur," growled Snotlout, stepping up beside Hiccup, facing Dagur head-on. "You're trespassing on private property. Scram."

"Oh," said Dagur tossing his head, "where's the trust? I have every right to meet my rival band's new drummer, don't I?"

He extended his scarred hand to Hiccup. Hiccup glared at him, but didn't react. "Come on," said Dagur, smiling sickly. "Shake the hand, boy."

Toothless snarled at Dagur warningly, and Dagur looked down at the border collie. "You'd better put that thing on a leash," he threatened.

Hiccup forced his anger down (for now) and feigned calm. "Hey, what do you know," he said, smirking. "It _is_ true what they say about you, Dagur."

Dagur turned to stare at him. "Oh, really?" he said challengingly, withdrawing his hand to put at his hip. "What do they say about me?"

"That you really _are_ a maniac, mentally deranged psycho," said Hiccup smugly.

Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins whirled their heads around to stare at Hiccup. Hiccup smirked back at Dagur's shocked expression.

Dagur's confusion soon turned into humor, and he cackled. "You," he said, pointing a finger at Hiccup, still laughing as though it were a joke, "can't address me like that."

"Oh yes I can," said Hiccup, crossing his arms. "I can, and I did."

Dagur stepped forward, nose to nose with Hiccup, all sense of humor gone from his face, eyes narrowed in fury. "I've done time, squirt," said Dagur, raising a balled fist. "You don't want to mess with me."

"Hey, I'm not messing with you," said Hiccup, shrugging. "You were the one who barged in saying 'well well well' like some poorly written antagonist from the latest TV series. So why don't you turn right around and walk away, before my dog decides you'd make a good lunch."

Toothless snarled for emphasis.

"I'll have your dog put down if you do," said Dagur.

"Oh, I'll just tell the police you threatened me, and my dog was only trying to protect me," said Hiccup smugly. "I'm sure they'll take my word for it, considering you've already 'done time.' Won't look very good on your criminal record, would it?"

Dagur's teeth were clenched now. "You'd better watch your mouth," he said. "It'll get you into a lot of trouble."

"So far I could say the same thing about you," said Hiccup. "Now kindly, Dagur the Deranged of the Red Deaths…" He pointed to the slightly ajar door. " _Get out_. _Now_."

Dagur stood, dumbfounded, mouth agape. Then, with a final, murderous glare, he spun on his heel and stormed out the door after his other two friends. At the last minute, though, Dagur turned and glared.

"You're going to regret that, squirt," he threatened.

"My name," said Hiccup furiously, "is Hickory. Now _get_."

Dagur left, slamming the door behind him. They waited until they heard the bell ding-a-ling, alerting Dagur's departure, and Toothless finally lowered his guard. Hiccup scratched the dog behind the ears.

"Whooaaaa!" said Tuffnut. "Man! Dude! You just totally called out _Dagur!"_ He punched Hiccup on the shoulder, much to Hiccup's protest, though he didn't comment. "That was insane!"

"I don't know whether to admire your guts," said Snotlout, "or admit you to a mental hospital for insanity."

Hiccup looked at the door, where Dagur and the other members of the Red Death had retreated, and narrowed his eyes. "We have to enter the contest," Hiccup said blatantly. "I don't care if I have to pay the entire entry fee. We are entering that contest."

"Yes!" cheered Tuffnut. "Go contest, go contest, oh yeah, yeah, yeah! We are _so_ winning this time! No more 'Red Death reigning champions'!"

Toothless barked in agreement.


	4. The Hit and Run

**Well, _this_ chapter certainly was fun to write. Sorry guys. I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger here. I apologize! :D Anyways, thanks for all your support! It means more to me than you realize! :D I hope you enjoy chapter 4! Oh, and remember to check the dates and years before each chapter; like I said, some of these things aren't posted in chronological order, so you might get confused if you don't read the dates/times/years. XD I love you guys! Enjoy chapter 4! :D **

* * *

_**CHAPTER 4: THE HIT AND RUN**_

 **DAY: JANUARY 29  
** **TIME: 2:27 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Snotlout plugged his mic into the amplifier after making sure Ruffnut and Tuffnut weren't fiddling with the switches in the sound booth. Afterwards, he turned and glanced around the room. He saw Astrid, fingers tapping against the face of her iPhone, Fishlegs and Tuffnut plugging in keyboards and guitars, but no sign of Ruffnut.

"Where's Ruffnut?" he said flatly, getting to his feet, straightening his back.

"She's out with Hiccup," said Astrid, "picking up our music sheets for today's rehearsal. If we want to have a chance at winning against the Red Deaths, we're going to have to be at the top of our game."

"When did they say they'd be back?" said Snotlout impatiently, moving to check the chords of his guitar; he didn't notice Tuffnut sneaking into the sound booth and start fiddling with the switches.

"Hiccup texted me about ten minutes ago," said Astrid. "He said they're almost to the music shop, so I guess it'll be about another half hour or two before he and Ruffnut get back here."

"Well, they'd better get back here soon," said Snotlout. "These instruments won't practice themselves." He plugged in his guitar chord and instantly regretted it.

 _SCREEEEEEECCCHHHH!_ whirled the feedback, followed by Tuffnut's cackling afterwards.

"TUFFNUT!" shouted Snotlout. "SON OF A-"

 _SCREEEEECCCHHHHH!_

"URGH!" yelled Snotlout. "Seriously! Cut it out! You'll blow out our speakers!"

"Sorry, Snotlout," said Tuffnut unapologetically, stepping back from the sound booth and into the main room. "You know I can't help it. It's so funny when you get all angry like that."

Snotlout clenched his fingers tightly around the mic. "If you think it's funny when I'm angry," said Snotlout, "then you've never actually _seen_ me angry."

"Oh, heavens forbid we should see you _angry_ ," said Tuffnut, putting up his hands in defense. "Look, Snotlout, not everyone is scared of you, alright?"

"I am," said Fishlegs quietly.

"No one asked you, Guppylegs," said Tuffnut, waving his hand dismissively at Fishlegs.

"Guys, chill out," said Astrid. "Save the chit chat for when Hiccup and Ruffnut get back. They'll be here pretty soon. Hold out until then, alright?"

Snotlout and Tuffnut glared at each other, but begrudgingly held their peace.

…

 **DAY: JANUARY 29  
** **TIME: 2:38 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"Isn't this nice, Hiccup?" said Ruffnut, as she and Hiccup strode down the busy sidewalk down a busy street - probably one of the only busy streets in the city of Berk, as Berk was a rather small city with lots of side-streets. "You and me, alone...but we're alone... _together_ …"

"Okay, creepy," said Hiccup, pulling his fedora further over his face to shield his eyes from the bright sun. "Okay...so, the music shop should be just across this street…" He raised his head when they came to a cross-walk, and he pushed the button on the stoplight, waiting to be cleared to cross.

"Hey, look!" said Ruffnut, pointing at the small building beside the music shop. "The mechanics! I've been meaning to ask you, how's your job going there?"

"It's been going great," said Hiccup. "I told my boss Gobber about our band, and about the Battle of the Bands. He gave me a raise to help pay for the entry fee."

"That's awesome!" said Ruffnut. "I wish my boss would give _me_ a raise. All she does is say, 'Ruffnut, don't shave their head! Ruffnut, make sure you cut their hair to get the style they want!' I mean, honestly. Hair styling is _art_ , especially what _I_ do. I'm surprised I haven't gotten fired yet with the attitude my boss is giving me…"

The crosswalk lit up, signaling safe passage, and Hiccup and Ruffnut instantly set down it, across the street.

"Well, don't _try_ and get yourself fired, Ruffnut," said Hiccup. "If we're going to pay that entry fee, we're going to need to stay working. Plus, we'll have to buy a trailer to hook up to the van...that's something to think about, since we'll be bringing all our own gear to the competition."

"Right," said Ruffnut. "That's also something to think about…"

They were about half-way across the street before it happened. There was no warning, no honking horn, no shouts, no _nothing_ \- Hiccup heard whirring of tires against asphalt coming quickly in their direction, which shouldn't have bothered him, except for the fact that it was getting _louder_ and _closer_ and the car wasn't stopping…

He turned.

"HICCUP, MOVE!" Ruffnut shouted, reaching her hand towards him, but it was too late.

The headlights of a bright red car.

The feeling of something slamming against him with such force he was hit right off his feet.

Landing against the asphalt.

Hearing the car's tires continue to whir until eventually, they faded from earshot.

Something hot and sticky running down his leg.

Breathing was like inhaling the embers of a fire.

He opened his eyes. Ruffnut's horrified eyes leaned over him, along with the faces of many strangers, people he didn't recognize, who had gathered around him.

Someone shouting, " _CALL 911!"_ and someone else (it sounded like Ruffnut?) shouting, _"Stay with me, Hickory!"_

But these things were jumbled in Hiccup's mind, like pieces of a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle, but with half of the pieces missing, making the picture impossible to decipher.

And that was his last thought before he heard and saw no more.

…

 **DAY: JANUARY 29  
** **TIME: 5:34 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"I HAVE HAD _ENOUGH!"_ shouted Snotlout, throwing his deck of cards to the ground and stomping on them for good measure, much to Fishlegs' protest. "Astrid! Has your boyfriend texted you again!? Because I am getting tired of waiting! It's been hours since you heard anything from him!"

"I know, Snotlout," said Astrid, deciding not to scold Snotlout for calling Hiccup her "boyfriend" and instead looking over her phone, making sure she hadn't missed any messages. "The last thing he said was we'll see you soon, and that was…" She checked the time the message was received. "About three hours ago," she said.

"Well, call him!" said Snotlout furiously. "Before _I_ do!"

"Okay, chill out, Snotlout," grumbled Astrid, dialing Hiccup's number and holding her phone up to her ear, waiting. _Riiiiinnnng...riiiiiinnnnggg...rrrriiiiinnnnggg…_

"Did he pick up?" said Snotlout.

"No, it's still ringing," said Astrid, tapping her fingers against her knee impatiently. "C'mon, pick up, pick up, pick up…"

 _Riiiinnnng…_

 _Hello! If you're hearing this, it means I'm not available! Leave a message and I'll call you back-_

Click. Astrid sighed. "Answering machine," she said blatantly.

"Well, call him again," said Snotlout, "and when he finally picks up, tell him he's a lazy bum from me."

Astrid dialed Hiccup's number again.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. _Hello! If you're hearing this-_

Click.

"Nothing," she said, and now, she was beginning to get worried. Hiccup hardly ever ignored his phone, especially when she was calling him. Why would that change now?

"He probably turned his phone off," said Fishlegs, shrugging. "Y'know, maybe when he went into the music shop-"

"Yeah," said Snotlout, "and I'm sure I wouldn't be half as angry with him if he hasn't been gone for _three hours_ when originally it was supposed to be _half_ of _one!"_

"And so it begins," said Tuffnut eerily, rubbing his hands together. "The perfect crime. Friend goes missing. Other friend's sister goes missing with first friend. Other friends panic. Annoying friend - that's me - stays annoying forever."

"Shut up, Tuffnut," snapped Snotlout. "Okay, fine! If Hiccup won't answer to you, he'll answer to me!" He pulled out his phone, dialed, and called. He paced for a few moments, and then, pulled the phone away from his ear, hit _End_ , and scowled. "Stupid answering machine," said Snotlout furiously.

"He probably just got held up," said Tuffnut, shrugging. "I mean seriously. You don't think anything _bad_ happened, do you?"

Toothless was laying on his dog bed sadly, whining, waiting for Hiccup to return. Astrid scratched the border collie behind his ears, anticipating Hiccup's arrival as much as the dog was.

"Of course nothing bad happened!" said Snotlout, crossing his arms over his chest, abandoning his futile attempts to call Hiccup. "Hiccup's just being a lazy-"

 _SCREEEEEEEEECH!_

"TUFFNUT THORSTON, I'M WARNING YOU-"

The door was suddenly thrown open, and Ruffnut tumbled through the door, breathing heavily, eyes wide and horrified.

"Ruffnut!?" said Astrid, and she got to her feet and raced over to the gasping, panting girl. "Are you okay? What happened?" Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Tuffnut quickly joined them, huddling around Ruffnut in a circle.

"Hiccup...it's Hiccup…" Ruffnut choked out.

"Hey, what's that on your shirt?" said Tuffnut, pointing to a stain on Ruffnut's white sleeve. After a moment, though, Tuffnut pulled away, eyes widened in terror.

"Is that _blood!?"_ Tuffnut gasped.

"Not...mine…" panted Ruffnut. "Hiccup...Hiccup…"

"Ruffnut, what happened!?" Astrid demanded, furious because she was frightened.

"Hiccup is in the hospital," Ruffnut finally managed to choke out. "There...there was a car, we were crossing the street, and it...it wouldn't stop, it hit him...and it kept going...hit and run... _Hiccup is hurt!"_

This is what finally snapped the band members out of their trance, and they moved as if mentally synching the same message to each other. Snotlout grabbed the keys to their van off an amplifier; Astrid snatched up her leather black satchel and swung it over her shoulder; Tuffnut and Fishlegs started shutting and locking windows.

They raced outside, Fishlegs locking the door behind him after letting Toothless out, and they jumped into their twelve seater black van. Snotlout took the driver seat; Tuffnut sat shot-gun. Fishlegs and Toothless sat in the middle row, and in the back, Astrid sat with Ruffnut, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay, Ruffnut," Astrid said, arm around Ruffnut's shoulders comfortingly, even though she was as horrified as Ruffnut was. "It'll be okay…"

Ruffnut shook her head feverishly. "His leg, Astrid," she whispered, horrified. "Oh my _gosh,_ Astrid, his _leg…"_

The engine roared to life, and Snotlout nearly floored the gas pedal. They sped off, down the street, towards the nearest hospital.


	5. The Hospital Room

**HELLO FRIENDS! THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS STORY! YOU ARE AMAZING! :D I love you guys! Hope you like chapter 5! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 5: THE HOSPITAL ROOM**_

 **DAY: JANUARY 29  
** **TIME: 10:09 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Snotlout sped down the streets, towards Berk's hospital. In the seat behind him, Fishlegs covered his eyes after tightening his seat belt to painful point. They were lucky the streets were empty, because Snotlout was _definitely_ driving faster than he should have been.

"Snotlout!" Fishlegs yelped. " _There's a speed limit, Snotlout!_ "

Snotlout ignored him entirely, eyes narrowed in determination over the steering wheel. When they turned down the side street leading towards the hospital, he finally slowed down, and that was only because when a speed radar showed him exactly how fast he was driving, he was a bit shocked himself.

Snotlout pulled into an empty parking spot, and before the car had even come to a full stop, Astrid leapt out of the car with Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut. Soon after, Snotlout followed.

"You have to wait here, Toothless," said Astrid, sadly shutting the sliding door on the collie's sad, desperate face. "You're not allowed in the hospital, Toothless," said Astrid, "I'm sorry."

Toothless bowed his head. He clearly understood why he wasn't allowed inside, but that didn't make waiting any easier. He laid down on one of the seats and curled into a small, sad ball, whimpering.

Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins turned and raced towards the hospital. The parking lot lights lit their way up the ramp and through the large, automatic doors leading inside.

White lights blared overhead, and Astrid found herself squinting at them. The seats in the waiting room were mostly empty; a man and a woman sat beside each other, the man holding a crutch, his leg wrapped in a blue cast, but other than them, the room was empty.

A blonde lady with short hair sat behind the desk, tapping away at a computer. Astrid and company instantly charged over, and the woman looked up with a start. It must have been a strange sight: Astrid, wearing her usual punk outfit with spikes on her shoulders, skirt, headband, and bracelet, Snotlout in a biker vest and steel-toed boots, Ruffnut and Tuffnut in matching white tank-tops beneath matching black jackets, and Fishlegs, who looked like an innocent schoolboy with a stunted growth.

The woman looked up at them, lips pursed. "How can I help you?" she asked; her name tag read _Rosetta._

"Please," said Astrid, "our friend was admitted a while ago, we have to see him."

The woman, Rosetta, looked at them skeptically. "Are you immediate family?" she asked curtly.

"We might as well be," said Astrid, already losing her patience, and she hadn't even been in conversation longer than ten seconds. "His dad's overseas."

"Who is the patient?" asked Rosetta, once again tapping away at the computer as though she were bored.

"His name is Hickory Haddock," said Snotlout, stepping beside Astrid to back her up should she need it.

Rosetta typed in his name on the computer and clicked her tongue. "Sorry," she said, "but Mr. Haddock is not allowed visitors at this time." The woman didn't sound sorry at all. In fact, she sounded annoyed, as if thinking, _get these teenagers out of here._

Astrid slammed her fist down on the desk in frustration; behind them, the man and woman in the waiting room jumped. " _Listen here_ ," Astrid hissed, "Hiccup...I mean, Hickory, is the person I care about in this world more than anything else. I would give my life for his without a second thought. You have to let me see him."

"I will not," said Rosetta. "I cannot."

Astrid was about to do something drastic (she wasn't sure what, exactly, but it would have been drastic), when suddenly, a voice issued from the hallway to the left.

"Rosetta?" called a feminine voice. "What is going on?"

A young woman, probably not very much older than Astrid was, stepped into the room. Her hair was black and braided down her back; her eyes were a soft, gentle green, and the nametag on her blue hospital uniform read _Heather_.

"It's nothing," said Rosetta. "These…" She looked at Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut, each in turn, probably trying to find a word that wouldn't insult them. "... _People_ ," said Rosetta, "want to see Hickory Haddock, but visitations outside immediate family aren't allowed, as I tried to tell them-"

The black-haired woman, Heather, smiled softly. "It's alright," she said, walking forward. "Although I can't let you see your friend, I can offer you hot chocolate from our hospitality room. Follow me, please?"

She led the way back down the hall. Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins exchanged glances. They definitely liked Heather much more than Rosette, and after deciding it was either they followed Heather or dealt with Rosette's _hospitality_ (sarcasm _so_ included) again, they hurried after Heather.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Heather turned around quickly, head jerking left and right to make sure they were alone. Astrid studied her suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Fishlegs asked.

Heather lowered her voice. "I'm Mr. Haddock's nurse," she said, whispering. "I can't let you all in to see him, but I can sneak one of you in well enough…"

"Astrid," said Snotlout instantly, giving Astrid a small push. "She knows Hiccup better than any of us. Take her."

Heather nodded. "The rest of you," she said, gesturing down the hallway, "can wait in the hospitality room. Just follow this corridor and bear right at the end."

"Thank you," Astrid whispered, so overwhelmed with relief she thought she might actually cry. "Thank you so much…"

"You're welcome," said Heather.

"We'll see you later, Astrid," said Snotlout, and he, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs followed Heather's instructions to the hospitality room while Heather took Astrid down the opposite corridor, up an elevator, and to the third floor of the hospital.

"How is he?" Astrid asked, whispering, jogging to keep up with Heather's long strides.

"To be honest," said Heather, "it could have been worse, but he's still…" She sighed. "They had to do an emergency amputate of his leg," said Heather lowly.

Astrid halted. "What?" she whispered, horror-stricken once again.

"I know," said Heather, "I _know_ , it's horrible, but it was necessary. The bone in his leg was shattered completely. It was a comminuted fracture, and it broke the skin. There wasn't anything to be done to save it. He was losing too much blood."

Astrid swallowed thickly. Her tongue felt a little too big for her mouth. Heather stopped in front of a hospital door reading _103_ and turned back to face Astrid.

"I can only give you a few minutes," said Heather, "and then, you must return to your friends."

"Thank you so much," Astrid whispered, "for doing this."

"You're welcome," said Heather. "Now go. He was conscious earlier, but he's on heavy painkillers right now, so if he _does_ wake up, don't be too disappointed if he doesn't recognize you, alright?"

Astrid nodded, and Heather turned the knob on the door and pushed it open. Astrid slipped inside, and Heather shut it again behind her.

The first thing Astrid heard was the long, persistent, steady _beep...beep...beep_ of a heart monitor. The walls were white, almost crisp, and the room had a formal air to it. Astrid swallowed thickly and, though she wasn't prepared for it, looked towards the hospital bed.

Her heart stopped.

"Hiccup," she whispered, and she hurried over. He was paler than she had ever seen him before, and that was saying something, as he had always been a bit of a naturally pale person. An oxygen tube trailed from his nostrils, around his ears, and to an oxygen tank on the floor. His eyes were shut, as if he were sleeping, when Astrid knew he was unconscious.

She sank down into the chair by the bed, her legs suddenly losing all feeling. She swallowed thickly and, without fully thinking about what she was doing, took Hiccup's hand in her own. His fingers were cold; an IV protruded from his wrist.

She swallowed again. There was a lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, Hiccup," she said faintly. "I'm so sorry…"

As if he could actually hear her, which she hoped he could, though she knew in her heart he couldn't. She sat there for what felt like hours, holding his hand, wondering why, _why_ , out of all the people in the world, this had to happen to _Hiccup…_

All too soon, Heather opened the door again and peaked inside. She looked from Astrid, to her patient, and then, to Astrid's hands clasped over Hiccup's, and she waited a moment before speaking. "Astrid," she said, "I'm sorry, but you have to go now…"

"Right…" Astrid said thickly, releasing Hiccup's hand with reluctance and standing, knees locked and legs numb. "Okay…" She brushed a few tears off her cheeks; she hadn't even realized she was crying at all until now. She never cried, and yet, here she was…

She walked numbly to the door, not fully conscious of what she was doing, as though she were passenger instead of driver. She felt detached to the rest of the world; even her ears seemed to lose their ability to hear in the time it took her to cross the room and step outside.

Heather shut the door behind her; Astrid heard it _click_ , but she didn't fully acknowledge it. Heather swallowed, clutching her clipboard to her chest, pen tucked behind her ear.

"I'll show you to hospitality," said Heather kindly, and Astrid nodded numbly and followed the nurse back down the elevator, back to the hallway, and to the hospitality room.

Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut leapt from their seats and hurried over. Astrid swallowed again; she seemed to do a lot of that now.

"Astrid, how…?" Fishlegs asked, and then he stopped, as if unable to get the words out. "How's he…?"

"They had to take his leg," said Astrid flatly, and saying it made it feel more real: Hiccup had lost his leg. _He had lost his leg…_

Everyone, Snotlout included, let out a collective gasp. For a few moments, they stood in stunned silence.

And then, Snotlout spoke. "We should probably go home," he said thickly. "Head back to Headquarters...there's nothing else to do here…"

Astrid didn't disagree, though a small tug in the back of her mind thought otherwise. She followed Fishlegs, the twins, and Snotlout out of hospitality, into the waiting room (Rosetta watched them like a hawk the entire way), and finally out the automatic doors, to their van.

And they set off to Dragon's Edge HQ, feeling worse than they had felt when they left.


	6. Get Well Soon

**Hey guys! :D Thanks for your continued support of this story! It really means a lot to me! :D So some of you were wondering a few questions about this AU, and so I'm going to go ahead and answer them right now:**

 **HEATHER IS STILL DAGUR'S SISTER, AND WE WILL ELABORATE ON THAT SUBJECT LATER.**

 **WHERE STOICK WORKS WILL BE REVEALED (in this chapter, actually XD).**

 **GUSTAV WILL EVENTUALLY APPEAR IN THIS FANFICTION. I ALREADY HAVE HIS SCENES ALL PLANNED OUT, SO DON'T MAKE ANY SUGGESTIONS. :D**

 **That's all! :D Remember, if you guys have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask them! I'll answer them to the best of my ability! :D Oh, and you can check out my pinterest, too; I just created a new board there with some pictures that reminded me of things in this AU, so if you want, go check it out. I only have one on there right now, but I'll add more as time goes on. :D LOVE YOU GUYS! :D ENJOY CHAPTER 6!**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 6: GET WELL SOON**_

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 1  
** **TIME: 2:33 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Stoick Haddock was overseas, striding down a long hallway from the office building. He was a burly, football-player built man with lots of flaming red facial hair and rough, calloused hands. He had worked on the police force for years; ever since his wife went missing, when Hiccup was just a baby, over eighteen years ago. Even though Stoick knew there was no hope of ever finding Valka, he still worked on the police force.

And he was just finishing up a conference discussing a particularly trying case when his phone vibrated; still silenced from the conference. Stoick pulled out his phone and looked at the numbers; they came up as "Unknown", and after little thought, he answered it.

 _Probably just a telemarketer,_ he thought to himself as he held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello? Mr. Haddock?" a feminine voice asked back, and Stoick definitely didn't recognize it.

"Yes, speaking," said Stoick impatiently, now sure he was talking to a telemarketer. "How can I help you?"

"Are you father of Hickory Haddock?" said the girl on the other end of the line, and this made Stoick pause. Ooookay, maybe _not_ a telemarketer after all.

"Yes...wait...who is this?" Stoick said, voice finding an edge on the last few words.

"I am a member of Berk County Hospital staff," said the woman. "Your son was hit by a car."

Stoick's heart plummeted to his stomach. "...What?"

…

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 2  
** **TIME: 5:37 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Stoick's plane had arrived at the airport at two in the morning; as soon as Stoick got off the phone with the hospital receptionist, he had packed his things from his hotel (although he was sure he had missed half of it in his haste), got on the earliest flight (leaving at eight in the evening, which was too long a wait in his opinion), and headed home.

It had taken him a little over three hours to get his rental car and get to the hospital, but when he finally _did_ pull up at Berk County Hospital, he didn't waste any time. He jumped out of his car, just barely remembering to lock it behind him, and raced inside.

It would have been comical on any other day: Stoick, still in police uniform (in his haste, he hadn't changed out of it since the conference), barged into the hospital waiting room. Needless to say, everyone present was a bit surprised.

Stoick instantly stormed over to the receptionist's desk; the blonde lady there watched him in question.

"Hickory Haddock," said Stoick simply, trying to keep his panic out of his voice. "I'm his father."

The lady nodded, tapped on the keyboard of her computer ( _Go faster, go faster, go faster,_ Stoick silently prompted), and looked up again, passing Stoick a visitor badge over the desk.

"Floor three, east wing, room one-o-three," said the woman, and Stoick didn't even thank her before racing for the elevator.

The elevator moved much too slow for his liking, but when he finally arrived, he didn't waste any more time getting to his son's hospital room. He raced down the empty hallways, looking to the numbers on the doors until finally, he came to 103.

He opened the door quickly, stepped inside, and shut the door behind him again. "Son," he said instantly, crossing the room and seating himself down in the chair beside the bed. An oxygen tube was still hooked around Hiccup's face, up his nostrils and around his ears, and his IV was still pricked into his arm. Stoick took Hiccup's hand, silently willing the boy to wake up.

And after a moment, he did. He cracked open his eyes (green, just like his mother's) and stared, confused, into his father's face.

"...Dad…?" Hiccup croaked.

Stoick nodded, tightening his grip on Hiccup's hand. "Yes, son," he said.

Hiccup looked at him blankly for a few seconds, and then, he smiled tiredly. "M'glad you're here…" he slurred, and then, he shut his eyes, dropping off to sleep again.

Stoick sighed heavily. Why did this have to happen to _Hiccup_ , to his _son_ , out of all people? He moved a few errant locks of hair out of Hiccup's face. "Me too, Hickory," he said. "Me too."

…

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 20  
** **TIME: 6:46 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Hiccup was discharged a few weeks later. According to his doctor, Hiccup's recovery was going better than ever expected, and once the hospital no longer had anything to benefit Hiccup's health, he was allowed to go home.

Stoick drove their silver Suburban down the highway, towards their house. He had already stopped at the pharmacy to pick up Hiccup's medications. All that was left now was to get home.

In the passenger seat, which was leaned nearly all the way back, Hiccup slept. The doctors at the hospital had given him a temporary prosthetic; when Hiccup recovered further, they would get a more permanent one, but for now, this one had to do.

To be frank, it was all a bit hard to wrap the mind around. Never, in a thousand years, would Stoick have expected this would happen.

And it was all so unexpected, all so sudden, all so impossible to believe. Just a phone call one day from the hospital. _Your son was hit by a car._ Words no parent would ever dream to hear concerning their child. Words as horrible as _The world has ended._

Stoick pulled up the driveway to their two story A-Frame log cabin and parked the car. He unbuckled himself and got out, coming around to the other side to get Hiccup. He opened the passenger door and laid a hand heavily on Hiccup's shoulder, shaking him just slightly.

"Hickory," Stoick said, and Hiccup opened his eyes, looking around, trying to figure out where he was. "We're home."

When Hiccup woke up a bit more, he unbuckled his seatbelt, and Stoick helped him out of the car. Hiccup stumbled and would have fallen if Stoick hadn't steadied him. The doctor had told them putting weight on his leg would hurt for the first few weeks - the reason for the pain medication - but the more Hiccup used the temporary prosthetic, the easier it would be to move on to the permanent one.

"I'm alright," Hiccup said, though his voice was faint.

Stoick wrapped his arm around Hiccup's shoulders and led him towards the front door - it would have been easy to carry him, but Stoick didn't think Hiccup would appreciate that. His pride was already wounded - there was no need to make it worse.

And anyways, Hiccup seemed determined to get used to his prosthetic as soon as humanly possible, and he couldn't do that if he didn't try and walk on his own.

Stoick unlocked the house and pushed the door open; the family dogs, Toothless and Skullcrusher (an old, fierce but kind german shepherd, former police dog) met them at the entry way. Hiccup perked up a bit when he saw Toothless; and he raised his hand slightly, scratching the fluffy border collie behind the ears.

"Hey buddy…" Hiccup said. Toothless looked like he wanted to jump against Hiccup in joy of seeing the boy again, but refrained once he had thought better of it. He sniffed Hiccup's prosthetic and looked up at Hiccup for an answer. Hiccup didn't offer one. He still felt out of it, which made focusing on anything nearly impossible.

His father guided him over to the couch, and he laid down instantly, shutting his eyes. Toothless instantly raced forward, licking Hiccup's hand, which hung over the side of the couch, and Hiccup rubbed the dog's head.

"Is there anything I can get you, Hiccup?" Stoick asked, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "Hungry?" Hiccup shook his head. "Thirsty?" Another shake of his head. "Is there anything you want me to get for you?"

Hiccup paused a moment, thinking. "...My laptop…?"

Stoick nodded, stood, and made for the stairs leading to Hiccup's room. At this point, he was sure climbing the stairs would definitely be painful for Hiccup, which meant they would have to consider other sleeping arrangements.

But for now, Hiccup seemed comfortable on the couch, so it would do.

The Haddock residence was homey, with deep green carpets and walls made from logs. They had a small kitchen, and the stairs leading to the above loft was steep. In their living room, they had a widescreen TV with a coffee table in front of it, and the couch (the one Hiccup was currently laying on) in front of the coffee table. Another chair like the couch resided nearby.

The roof was lower in Hiccup's loft, and Stoick had to duck for a moment to avoid hitting his head. Hiccup's room was about as tidy as was expected; his silver Apple laptop sat charging on his bed, and his ocean-blue drumset was set up against the far wall. Outside the window over the bed, the sky was darkening, indicating night, and Stoick unplugged Hiccup's laptop and brought it back downstairs.

When he came to the living room again, he paused and continued, quieter. Toothless was curled on the couch, half on top of Hiccup and half beside Hiccup. Hiccup was sleeping soundly.

The fluffy border collie looked at Stoick, and Stoick set the laptop on the coffee table. "You'll come get me if he needs me, won't you, Toothless?" Stoick said, and Toothless nodded eagerly, laying his head back down over Hiccup's stomach, protectively.

Stoick grabbed a thick blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Hiccup; Toothless got under it, too, and for once, Stoick didn't care that they would be dealing with a bunch of dog hair all over their blanket.

"Alright," said Stoick, stepping back, "let me know if he wakes up." Toothless nodded briefly before falling asleep himself, and Stoick left the room with his phone to order pizza for dinner.


	7. Video Call

**Hey guys! :) I hoped you liked the last chapter! This chapter should be pretty fun, too, y'know...I don't know, I wanted some fluffiness in this chapter, but there isn't a lot of it.**

 **Oh, and just so you know, I am officially opening -**

 **SUGGESTIONS! :D**

 **Not _requests_ , suggestions; you can suggest ideas for chapters, you know, let me know what you'd like to see more of, less of, etc., etc., so, yeah, LET ME KNOW. :D LOVE YOU GUYS! ENJOY CHAPTER 7! :D **

* * *

_**CHAPTER 7: VIDEO CALL**_

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 26  
** **TIME: 2:19 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"Dad, I'll be fine-"

"Because I can call the office and tell them I won't be coming."

"Dad, I'm-"

"Second thought, maybe that's what I'll do anyways-"

 _"Dad!"_ Hiccup finally interjected. "I'll be alright! And besides, I won't be alone. I'll have Toothless." For emphasis, Toothless, who was sitting beside Hiccup on the couch (something the dog wouldn't have been doing under different circumstances), nodded eagerly.

Stoick sighed and paced for a moment or two, clad in police uniform, car keys already in his hand. "I'm still not-"

"I'll call you if something happens, alright?" said Hiccup reassuringly. "I've got my phone." He held it up for extra emphasis. "I'll be okay, Dad. Toothless can get me anything I need, watch. Toothless, painkillers."

Toothless leapt off the couch and raced off, disappearing into their kitchen. When Toothless reappeared, he was carefully carrying Hiccup's bottle of painkillers between his teeth.

"Thanks, Toothless," said Hiccup. "See, Dad? We've got it covered."

Stoick hesitated.

"Dad, it's okay," said Hiccup. "If it makes you feel better, I'll call you every hour and let you know how we're doing, alright? I'll set an alarm so I don't forget."

This seemed to make Stoick feel at least a little better. "Only if you're sure…?" said Stoick, still hesitant.

"I'm sure," said Hiccup.

Stoick finally conceded. "Alright," he said. "I'll come home early. What do you want for dinner?"

"Eh, whatever," said Hiccup, shrugging.

"Does Chinese work?"

"Chinese is great."

"Alright," said Stoick, heading for the door. "I love you, Hiccup."

"Love you too, Dad," said Hiccup. "See you later."

Stoick nodded and stepped outside, shutting and locking the door behind him. Hiccup sighed, leaning back against the couch. Toothless, still holding Hiccup's bottle of painkillers between his teeth, _woofed_ pathetically.

Hiccup opened his eyes. "What?" he said.

" _Boof_ ," said Toothless.

Hiccup held out his hand, and Toothless dropped the bottle into his palm. Hiccup set it on the coffee table, and Toothless leapt onto the couch beside him again.

"Alright, bud," Hiccup said, taking his laptop, "let's see…" Toothless watched him, ever so interested. Hiccup typed in his laptop's password and opened his web browser. "Okay...so...what now? Cat videos?"

Toothless woofed.

"Meh, you're right. I don't like cats much either."

Toothless nodded and laid his head down, just to shoot up again when Hiccup's phone rang. Hiccup picked it up, groaned when he recognized the number, and answered it.

"Dad, you haven't been gone thirty seconds."

 _"I know. Just making sure you're okay."_

"Dad, I told you, I'll call you every hour, alright?"

 _"I haven't gotten in the car yet. If you changed your mind-"_

"I'm fine, Dad, honestly. I'll call you later."

Click.

Hiccup sighed and set down his phone. "He's overprotective," said Hiccup. Toothless laid his head down. "And honestly, bud, you're no different, either." Toothless grunted, clearly uninterested, and went back to sleeping.

Hiccup did a quick routine check of his social medias, and was just about to shut his computer, when something _blooped,_ and a message popped up on the screen.

 _Incoming call from FISHLEGS INGERMAN. Answer with video?_

Hiccup paused, only briefly, and then, he moused over and clicked _Accept_. The bubble opened into his Skype; Hiccup turned on his webcam, and once it was working, looked back at the screen.

He couldn't see anything from the opposite side, but he heard fidgeting. "Ouch...hey! I was sitting there!" snapped Ruffnut's voice, followed by a _whack!_ and an _"OW!"_ from Tuffnut.

"Guys, quit pushing!" shouted Astrid's voice.

"Everyone, move over!" said Snotlout's authoritative voice. "Is it working? Um, do you guys know how to work this thing?"

"Hey, guys!" Hiccup said, and instantly, the fidgeting and arguing stopped.

"Hiccup!" said Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut's voices in perfect unison.

"Can you see us?" said Astrid's voice.

"Um, no," said Hiccup. "Do you guys have the webcam plugged in? You're using Fishlegs' computer, aren't you? It doesn't have its own webcam."

"Oh, darn, I knew we were forgetting something," said Snotlout's voice. "Ruffnut! Tuffnut! What did you do with the webcam last time you used it?"

"We gave it to Fishlegs!"

"No you didn't!" said Fishlegs.

"Guys!" said Hiccup, and they stopped arguing instantly. "Look in the crate with the guitar chords. Sometimes it gets thrown in there after rehearsals."

There was a few moments without voices, and after a few minutes of rummaging, Ruffnut's triumphant voice shouted "YES! Found it!" and Hiccup could hear them plugging the webcam the computer.

Within moments, the black screen turned into a screen with Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Astrid. Astrid was wearing her usual punk outfit, complete with leather fingerless gloves and spikes, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked like athletes. Snotlout wore his biker jacket, and Fishlegs wore his brown leather vest over a white shirt.

"There you are!" said Hiccup, smiling. "Now, can you see me, too?"

"Yeah!" said Fishlegs, nodding. "We can see you!"

"How're you doing, dude?" said Tuffnut, leaning closer to the webcam. "Wait, wait, hold on! Virtual fist-bump!" Hiccup and Tuffnut bumped their fists against their webcams. "I've always wanted to do that!" said Tuffnut.

"What's up?" said Snotlout.

"Um, nothing much," said Hiccup, shrugging. "Tired, but I think that's because of the painkillers. They normally knock me out for a few hours after I take them."

"How are you, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked caringly. "You look pale."

"Yeah, I'm alright," Hiccup said. "Still really sore, but I'm managing, adjusting, you know...what about you guys? What's up?"

"Oooooh!" said Tuffnut excitedly. "Can I tell him the surprise? Oh, please, can I tell him the susprise!?"

"No!" said Ruffnut angrily. " _I_ wanted to tell him the surprise!"

"What surprise?" said Hiccup, smiling. And then he frowned. "Guys, what did you do...?"

"We got a trailer!" blurted Ruffnut and Tuffnut at the same time.

"What? No way!" said Hiccup, grinning. "That's awesome! Where'd you get it? Did you use the funds I left in the jar?"

"We got it from your boss' mechanic shop," said Snotlout, shrugging. "He was selling it. We stopped by on our way to pick up our music sheets and told him what happened, you know, with you and the car. He gave us the trailer half-off!"

"And we decided," said Tuffnut, "not to make you help pay for it!"

"Aw, guys, you shouldn't have," said Hiccup. Unexpectedly, Toothless leapt off the couch and ran into the other room; Hiccup didn't try and stop him. "I told you, I wanted to help you guys pay for it."

"Yeah," said Fishlegs, "but after the whole car incident, we decided to surprise you and get it ourselves!"

"Well, thanks," said Hiccup. "In which case, I'll treat you all to coffee instead as soon as my dad lets me out of the house. He's kind of...overprotective right now, which I guess I can't really blame him for, but you know, it gets a little...tedious, after a while."

"Right," said Astrid, "well, as soon as you can, we'll meet up for lunch or coffee or whatever."

Toothless nudged Hiccup's hand, and Hiccup turned to look at the dog; Toothless, once again, had Hiccup's painkiller bottle in his mouth, sitting on the ground in front of the couch, tailing swishing against the green carpet like a broom. "C'mon, Toothless, put it down," said Hiccup, but Toothless didn't put it down. He leapt onto the couch and dropped the painkillers into Hiccup's lap.

"Aww, hi, Toothless!" squealed Ruffnut, and Toothless looked at her on the screen of the computer, head tilted in curiosity. Ruffnut laughed. "He's so adorable, Hiccup! How old is he again?"

"Almost three," said Hiccup. "Hang on, guys…" He took the painkillers and checked his phone for the time; it had been about five hours since he last took his painkillers, which meant it was nearly time for another dose of them.

"Toothless, can you get me my water bottle?" Hiccup asked. "It's in the kitchen."

Toothless nodded and bounded off.

"Sorry, guys," Hiccup said, "I've got to take my pain drugs in a minute, and they'll knock me out for a few hours, but other than the trailer and the music sheets, how are you guys doing?"

"Great!" they said in unison.

"Yeah, especially me!" said Ruffnut happily. "My boss just fired me! I've never been happier before in my life!"

Hiccup didn't quite know how to respond to that.

"Yeah, I'm going to try and talk to my boss about getting her a job at his music shop," said Tuffnut, shrugging. "We need someone to dust anyways."

Toothless returned with Hiccup's water bottle, and he dropped it on Hiccup's lap with the bottle of painkillers. "Thanks, Toothless," Hiccup said. "Well, guys, thanks for calling. It's good to see you all."

"You too, Hiccup!" said Fishlegs.

"Yeah, no problem, dude," said Tuffnut. "If we were hit by a car, you'd do the same for us."

"Just don't push yourself, alright?" said Astrid. "We're going to go ahead and mail in our entry fee and application for the Battle of the Bands. They need to receive it by the thirty first, so we need to get it in the mail as soon as possible."

"Good idea," said Hiccup. "I think I left a twenty by the drum set to help pay for the entry fee. You guys, seriously, I want you to use it, alright?"

"Alright," said Snotlout, "cool. The rest of us pitched about sixteen some dollars. We'll give you the change next time we see you, 'kay?"

"Okay," Hiccup agreed. "We can plan to do another video call tomorrow. How does seven thirty work for you guys?"

"Yeah, we'll be at Headquarters," said Astrid, "practicing. Snotlout's writing a song to do at the Battle of the Bands. You get extra points from the judges if it's original."

"Sweet," said Hiccup. "I'll talk to you guys later."

"Sounds good," said Ruffnut.

"Bye, Hiccup!" they said, waving.

"Bye," said Hiccup, waving back, and he hit _End Call_. Skype closed down, and he shut his laptop, set it back on the coffee table, and leaned back, sighing tiredly.

Toothless wasn't having it. He jumped on Hiccup, and Hiccup protested, playfully shoving him away. "Alright, alright, Mr. Bossy!" Hiccup said, shoving the border collie back. "I'll _take_ my medicine! Sheesh!"

Toothless, satisfied, leapt off Hiccup again and ran from the room; Hiccup was taking another medication to prevent infection in his leg. Hiccup took two painkiller pills (the assigned dosage) and swallowed them down with water. When Toothless returned, jaw closed around the other bottle of pills, Hiccup took the assigned dosage of them, too.

Hiccup took up his phone, sent a quick text to his father ( _"Just took medications, gonna rest for a while. Don't panic if I don't respond for a few hours.")_ and laid back against the couch. He glanced at the steep staircase. Maybe in a few days he would brave them and sleep in his own room instead of on the couch.

But definitely not today.

He laid on his side on the couch and pulled his blanket over his shoulder; Toothless jumped on him and curled on top of him, much to Hiccup's protest. "You're not a lap dog, Toothless," Hiccup said.

Toothless whined.

"Ugh, _fine_. You big baby...that's what you are, isn't it?" He reached over, petting the dog's head. "Big, stubborn baby…"

Toothless laid his head down. He seemed pretty okay with being a "big baby" if it meant he got to sleep on the couch with his boy. Hiccup shut his eyes, slowly stroking the dog's head, until finally, the movement of his hand became slower, and slower, until it stopped altogether, and he fell fast asleep.


	8. The Case for Hickory Haddock

**Hey guys! Sorry, this took longer than I hoped. Seriously. But that's okay, 'cause I'm updating now! :D**

 **Oh, and remember: IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, I WILL TAKE THEM. Suggestions are always nice. :) Here are a few things I can promise, though, for this story, and let me know what you guys think about them:**

 **SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO TOOTHLESS (not the good kind of "happen", the "happen" that makes you guys hate me, heh heh...)**

 **SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO STOICK (ohmygosh, you guys are going to hate me for that, too)**

 **THE GANG WILL EVENTUALLY GO TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK (called "DRAGON ACADEMY", because hey, why not? XD)**

 **GUSTAV WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE (he'll only have one chapter, though, 'cause in my opinion, he's kind of obnoxious. XD)**

 **OH, and JUST FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE, HERE ARE THE AGES FOR THE CHARACTERS, JUST SO IT ISN'T CONFUSING:**

 **Snotlout - in 2014, 17.**

 **Astrid - in 2014, 16.**

 **Hiccup - in 2014, 16.**

 **Fishlegs - in 2014, 16.**

 **Ruffnut and Tuffnut - in 2014, 17.**

 **HOPE THAT CLEARS A FEW THINGS UP IF YOU GUYS WERE WONDERING. :) ANYWAYS, THE AGES DON'T MATCH THAT OF THE FRANCHISE. THIS IS FANFICTION. MODERN FANFICTION. XD LOVE YOU GUYS! ENJOY CHAPTER 8! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 8: THE CASE FOR HICKORY HADDOCK**_

 **DAY: MARCH 19  
** **TIME: 7:47 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Astrid stepped into Dragon's Edge HQ, carrying a vanilla latte in one hand and her leather, spiked handbag in the other. She walked across the main lobby and into their back room, pushing open the door with her hip and stepping inside.

"Okay, guys," said Astrid, moving forward, "I just got a text from Hiccup, he said-" She stopped suddenly, looking curiously at her friends. She set her coffee and handbag down on a nearby coffee table and moved forward; Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut were sitting on their couch in front of their small television.

"Get this," said Snotlout, beckoning Astrid over with his hand, though his eyes remained glued on the screen. "Here it is again. Hit and run. They still don't know who was behind it."

Astrid headed over and leaned against the back of the couch. On the TV, a man and woman reporter were discussing the accident.

"...Nearby security cameras captured this hit and run, and it is one of the most interesting cases we've seen in a while," the woman was saying. "The driver left no indication as to who he or she was or what they were trying to accomplish."

Behind her, a video was stopped on the back of the red car. There was no license plate, and no model number on the car. The only thing on the back of the car that could be even remotely helpful was the sticker on the right bumper, which couldn't be read from the distance.

"Police have asked witnesses for their take on the accident," said the male reporter, "and there are mixed stories."

The screen cut to a man (presumably a witness), speaking into a microphone. "The car was small," said the man, "a Chrysler, probably. Bright red."

The screen cut again, this time to a woman. "I don't know," said the woman, "it all happened so fast. I'm guessing the driver was a woman, but it was hard to tell…"

"The driver was definitely a man," said another witness. "Middle-age, maybe over thirty…"

"A young man," said a younger witness. "Maybe early twenties, or even younger. I doubt he even had a driver's license."

"Okay," said Tuffnut, watching the screen, "so what _actually_ happened?"

The screen cut again, and this time, it was Ruffnut on the screen.

"Hey, sis, that's you!" said Tuffnut, reaching over to punch Ruffnut on the shoulder. For once, Ruffnut didn't punch him back.

"I don't know who it was," said witness Ruffnut on the TV, "but when I find out who, they are going to pay."

"Here, here!" agreed Snotlout, clapping Ruffnut on the back.

"I didn't know what else to say," said Ruffnut. "There were already tons of conflicting stories. I wasn't even sure what actually happened after hearing what everyone else thought."

The door opened, and Hiccup stepped into the room, his fluffy border collie Toothless walking at his side. "What are you guys looking at?" Hiccup asked, crossing the room and standing beside Astrid behind the couch.

"Your case," said Snotlout simply, gesturing in the general direction of the TV - another witness with a different story was on the screen. "If you had to guess, Hiccup, what car would _you_ say hit you?"

"Definitely some kind of sports car," said Hiccup, "but it was hard to tell. The only thing I really saw were the headlights."

"And now, back to the weather-" said the reporter, and Snotlout cut her off.

"You would _think_ ," said Snotlout furiously, taking the remote and shutting off the TV, "the police would have _some_ sort of idea on who hit Hiccup. I mean, seriously. They're _police_."

"And it happened _months_ ago," said Tuffnut. "You'd think they'd have at least _some_ sort of clue as to exactly _what_ happened."

"But they don't, obviously," said Astrid, "so might as well not wish they did. They'll figure it out."

"My dad's on the case," said Hiccup, "and I'm pretty sure he wants revenge more than justice."

"Hey, whatever driver was driving the sports car," said Snotlout, "he's the reason you lost your leg. So no, no justice. Only revenge." He pounded his fist into his open palm for emphasis.

"Snotlout, you don't want to get yourself another restraining order," said Fishlegs. "Let the police handle this one, alright?"

"We'll find out who did it, Snotlout," said Hiccup. "These things just take time."

"Apparently so!" snapped Snotlout. "It's been months, and they have _nothing!"_

"Look, guys, I'm honestly just glad the accident wasn't worse," said Hiccup, putting up his hands. "It could have gone _way_ worse."

"He's right," said Fishlegs. "The authorities will find the driver soon enough, and we'll get this all settled…" Snotlout pounded his fist into his palm again. "... _Legally_ , Snotlout," finished Fishlegs

Snotlout growled and crossed his arms. "Fine!" he said. "But on another note, I have a surprise for you all!"

"Ooooh!" squealed the twins, and they raced over.

"Is it an X-Box?" said Tuffnut.

"No," said Snotlout.

"Is it a motor boat?" said Ruffnut.

"No," said Snotlout.

"A bag of lollipops?"

"No. Even _better_."

Tuffnut frowned. "What could _possibly_ be better than a bag of _lollipops?"_ he asked, and he sounded so genuinely confused it was commical.

"Our sheet music!" said Snotlout excitedly, pulling a folder out from behind his back and thrusting it forward. "Fishlegs, you're on keyboards…" He passed Fishlegs three sheets of paper, and Fishlegs took them, already looking them over.

"Astrid, lead guitarist," said Snotlout, handing Astrid the guitar sheets, and Astrid took them, too.

"I, of course, have lyrics," said Snotlout, "and Hiccup, we're going to mic your kick drum."

"Mic it?" said Hiccup, excitement already gleaming in his eyes. "A subwoofer, you mean?"

"Yes!" said Snotlout, passing Hiccup sheet music. " _Exactly!_ A subwoofer!"

"But we already _have_ a woofer," said Ruffnut. "Toothless, speak!" Toothless barked. "See, Snotlout? Why do we need one for Hiccup's drum?"

"No, not _that_ kind of woofer," said Snotlout. "A subwoofer is a loudspeaker component that brings out the low bass frequencies you can't usually hear. It gives out a really deep, kind of distorted sound that we're going to need for this song."

"Huh," said Astrid, "no guitar solo, huh?"

"Hey, you can't have a guitar solo _every_ song, Astrid," said Snotlout, crossing his arms. "Make room for the other instruments."

"This sounds really cool, Snotlout," said Fishlegs, grinning. "I think we could definitely learn this before the Battle of the Bands. What's it called again? I don't see any title…"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to put it on your sheets," said Snotlout, facepalming. "I like to call this little number 'Where No One Goes'. It's pretty awesome. I have a lot of great plans for this song."

"Yeah...Snotlout, I don't know," said Hiccup finally, looking up, an unsure expression on his face. "I really haven't done any practicing on the drums at all since the accident, and the left foot is high-hat-"

"That's why I didn't write any high-hat into the song!" said Snotlout, rushing over. "I knew it would take more time than we have for you to figure out how to use it with your prosthetic, so I took it upon myself to not use the high-hat pedal at all. Whenever it says 'high-hat', like it does there…" He pointed to a spot on Hiccup's sheet music, "you can hit the high-hat with the drumsticks. You don't have to use the pedal."

"Huh...thanks, Snotlout," said Hiccup, features brightening again. "And that's why you wrote so much kickdrum into the song, too, isn't it? With the subwoofer? To make up for the lack of high-hat?"

"You got it, man!" said Snotlout, clapping Hiccup on the shoulder. "And we can start rehearsal as soon as you guys memorize your parts! Until then, who wants a soda?"

…

 **DAY: MARCH 20  
** **TIME: 5:32 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"Is it all plugged in on your end, Hiccup?" called Snotlout, hoisting his guitar over his shoulder and plugging it in. The twins, busy trying to help Fishlegs set up his keyboard, didn't prank the gang with use of feedback.

"I'm plugged in!" said Hiccup, kicking on the kickdrum; the microphone hanging in front of it from a boom stand gave the kickdrum a muffled _THUMP_. Hiccup grabbed the ear-protectors he wore specifically for playing drums and strung them around his neck, ready to use when the time came.

"Awesome!" said Snotlout. "What about you, Fishlegs? Did you find a good string setting to use on that keyboard?"

"I think I did, Snotlout," said Fishlegs, pressing down on a key for good measure. "How much reverb do you want on it?"

"No reverb," said Snotlout. "Astrid! You got the guitar?"

"I've got the guitar," said Astrid, "all memorized. Not like there's much to memorize…" She flipped through her sheets, making sure she hadn't missed anything important.

"Hey, Snotlout," Hiccup beckoned, and Snotlout raced over. "The first eight symbols are supposed to be choked, correct?"

"Correct-a-mundo," said Snotlout. "Choke 'em the first eight times, and let the ninth one ring out. Got it?"

"Got it," said Hiccup, nodding.

"And start out quieter," said Snotlout, "and gradually get louder. By the time you hit that last symbol, it should be pretty loud. Alright?"

"Right," said Hiccup. "This is exciting, Snotlout."

"I know, right?" said Snotlout. "I am _brilliant!"_

"You rather are, Snotlout," said Fishlegs. "So, should we start rehearsal?"

"I think we definitely should!" said Snotlout. "And the first ever take of 'Where No One Goes' begins…"

He had paused for dramatic effect, just getting ready to shout "NOW!", when they heard the bell leading inside ring, and Toothless leapt from his dog bed and sprang forward, growling viciously at the door.

"Uh oh," said Snotlout.

"I bet five bucks it's Dagur," said Tuffnut to Ruffnut.

"I ain't betting," said Ruffnut, "because I know it _is_ Mr. Deranged. Can't that guy ever catch a break?"

"Toothless, come here," Hiccup called, and Toothless instantly turned and raced over; Hiccup didn't want anything to happen to Toothless, should Dagur be a little more deranged than usual.

"Sorry, buddy," Hiccup said, taking out Toothless' leash, "but I don't want anything to happen to you, alright?"

Toothless nodded in agreement, and Hiccup clipped the leash to Toothless' collar. No sooner than he did, the door swung open, and Dagur stormed in, alone, wearing his _RED DEATH_ biker jacket and steeled-toed boots.

"Ah," said Dagur, clapping his hands, "so the band gets back together. How sweet. I saw it on the news. Sorry about your leg, Hickory. Wouldn't want to be in your _shoe_."

"Leave us alone, Dagur," said Astrid, striding forward.

"Oh, hello, Astrid," said Dagur, smiling at her. Anger bubbled up in Hiccup's chest, but didn't surface. "As a reminder, Astrid...there's always plenty of room on the Red Death for a lead guitarist, you know, if you ever want to ditch these hopeless cases-"

Astrid wrestled her electric guitar from around her neck and raised it threateningly; Dagur stepped back, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I get it," said Dagur. "You don't want to be one of us. Alright."

Astrid didn't lower her guard - or her guitar.

"Anyways," said Dagur, "I just wanted to drop by and say _hello_ , and apologize."

"Apologize?" said Snotlout. "Apologize for _what?"_

Unbeknownst to Dagur, Ruffnut and Tuffnut snuck into the soundboard and instantly began messing with the switches; the switch they favored above all others was the one controlling the volume of Hiccup's subwoofer. Hiccup watched them, as did Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs - Dagur had his back to the twins, oblivious as to what they were doing.

"Oh, you know," said Dagur, "apologize for your drummer. Must be hard to hit the high-hat now, huh? Only one leg? Pathetic. You're going to lose the competition, and it's going to be your drummer that does it."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut waved their arms to get their friends' attentions, gestured towards Hiccup's subwoofer, and plugged their fingers into their ears.

The message was clear.

Tuffnut mouthed, _Subwoofer_ , and then, holding up one hand, mouthed, _Three, two, one…_

Hiccup quickly pulled his ear-protectors from around his neck, stuffed them into his ears, and covered Toothless' ears with both his hands. Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins in the sound booth behind them covered their own ears.

Before Dagur could even ask what was going on, Hiccup kicked the kickdrum as hard as he could, subwoofer volume turned all the way up to _MAX_.

The feedback was _insane_ , and that was sugar-coating it. It was worse than any prank the twins had ever pulled, worse than any feedback Hiccup, Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, or Tuffnut had ever heard in the history of their music making. Dagur, unprepared for it, ears exposed to the music, screamed (which would have been comical if it hadn't come from a mentally challenged former prisoner like Dagur) and stumbled backwards, tripping a dozen of times over his feet in his haste to get out as quickly as he could.

He stumbled out the door to the music room, and then, out the door of Dragon's Edge Headquarters entirely. Only then, as if on cue, did the feedback subside, and the members of the band finally lowered their hands from their ears.

Snotlout swallowed. "Can everyone still hear?" he asked.

"I heard that," said Fishlegs, raising his hand.

"I did, too," said Astrid.

"Same," said the twins and Hiccup.

Toothless barked.

"Well, okay," said Snotlout. "Okay…"

There was a beat.

And then, Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut broke into hysteric laughter. They laughed so hard that breathing became a challenge.

"His _face!"_ cackled Tuffnut. "D-Did you see the look on Dagur's _f-f-face!_ Oh my _gosh!"_

"I would pay good money for a video of that," said Snotlout. "Oh, wow, that is _definitely_ something you don't see every day…"

Ruffnut quickly raced behind the sound booth once more, turning down Hiccup's subwoofer volume again as fast as she could. "I think we blew out one of our chords," said Ruffnut, still panting from laughter.

"We can buy another chord," said Snotlout. "That, _that_ , was _so_ worth it."

When the laughter finally ended, Hiccup looked down. Astrid caught him and approached, frowning. "Hiccup?" she said. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I just…" Hiccup started, and then he sighed. "What if Dagur was right?" said Hiccup. "What if I can't be your guys' drummer anymore? What if...what if we _do_ lose the competition, and what if it's my fault?"

"Come on, Hiccup," said Snotlout, "if we lose the competition, it won't have anything to do with you. And besides, there is _no way_ we're losing the competition. We already sent in the entry fee and our application. We're going to give it our best shot, and we're going to _win_."

"Nothing could kick you off the team, Hiccup," said Fishlegs. "Not even if you lost both your legs _and_ arms."

"Um...thanks," said Hiccup. "In which case…" He took up his drumsticks, excitement rekindled. "We were about to practice?"

"Oh, right!" said Snotlout. "Okay, gang!" He pulled his guitar back around his shoulder, as did Astrid. Ruffnut and Tuffnut took their places behind the sound booth, Fishlegs behind the keyboard, and Toothless raced off, leash unhooked again, to his dog bed.

"And the first ever rehearsal of 'Where No One Goes'," said Snotlout dramatically, "begins... _now!"_


	9. Garage Band

**Hello amazing people! I love you all! :D**

 **So guys, I have just received my first:**

 **NEGATIVE CRITICISM.**

 **And I want to do a special shout-out to that person who gave me the criticism, and this is it:**

 **Random: Thank you for your feedback. However, I do not feel that this modern fanfiction is "taking over", per se, and have decided to continue with it If you really hate the fanfiction so much, why read it at all? No one's forcing you to read this fanfiction. So, yes. Don't feel forced to read it, my friend. I appreciate your concerns, but at the moment, I feel they are unnecessary. I am still updating my other fanfictions, and this fanfiction isn't taking over anything. But like I said, I appreciate the concern, and thank you for it. :) If you don't like what you're reading, STOP READING. :D  
**

 **And to everyone else:**

 **THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! :D I love all of you guys (and you're included in that, Random :D). Here's the next chapter! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 9: GARAGE BAND**_

 **DAY: JUNE 21  
** **TIME: 12:35 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

Astrid was up in the second story of her house, working on a project to go with an assignment for extra credit in school. She read over the problem once, and then twice, and then, a third time, without results. Irritated, she slammed her book shut and crossed her arms over her leather jacket, fuming.

 _Thunk._

Her ears picked up the small, barely noticeable sound coming from the window, and she turned to investigate. Nothing. She turned back to her work and took up her pencil again; this problem shouldn't have been this hard…

 _Thunk_.

She spun around again, staring at the window. Just before she passed it off as her imagination and ignored it, a small pebble hit the window, creating another _thunk_ to go along with the first two.

Annoyed now that she knew the source of the sound, she stepped towards the window, opened it, and leaned outside.

Her boyfriend, Hickory, stood in the grass of her house's backyard, a small handful of pebbles in his hand. Beside him, his fluffy border collie, Toothless, sat obediently.

"Are you seriously throwing pebbles at my window, Hiccup?" Astrid called down to him.

Hiccup, black fedora over his untidy auburn hair and green jacket over a black shirt, frowned. "I thought girls liked that kind of stuff," he said.

Astrid shook her head. "No," she said. "Next time, use your phone, genius."

And she shut the window and turned towards the desk again.

 _THUMP!_

Astrid spun around; that thump was _much_ louder than the first few. She hurried towards the window, threw it open, and looked down at Hiccup.

"DID YOU JUST THROW YOUR PHONE AT MY WINDOW!?" she shouted down at him.

"Don't worry, it isn't broken! Badly…!"

" _Urgh!"_ Astrid moaned, slamming her window shut, grabbing her satchel off the bedpost, and hurrying downstairs and out the door, to the backyard. Hiccup was holding his phone, brushing dirt off the screen.

"You're an idiot, Haddock."

"I know."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "So, do tell," she said. "What brings you to throwing rocks at my window?"

"In my defense, they were tiny pieces of gravel," said Hiccup, stuffing his phone into his pocket, "and Snotlout texted me earlier. He wanted me to come get you and meet him and the others at headquarters."

"Alright," said Astrid, pulling her satchel further over her shoulder. "You got means of transportation?"

"Legs," said Hiccup.

Astrid rolled her eyes. She and Hiccup walked down the sidewalk, towards Dragon's Edge Headquarters, where their friends waited for their arrival. As they rounded the corner, Dragon's Edge HQ in sight, they heard something that made them pause.

It sounded horrible. That was the best way to describe it. It was a jumble of what sounded like drums, violin, and possibly guitar - though these instruments were only guesses. It could have been gongs, cello, and ukulele for how jumbled it sounded. Even Toothless thought the sound was awful; he pawed helplessly at his ears, whining.

"Oh, wow," said Astrid, shaking her head. "Where is _that_ coming from?"

"I'm not entirely sure I want to know," said Hiccup, and then, he raised his hand and pointed. "But I think it might be coming from _that_ building…"

"You mean, the building right next to ours?" said Astrid.

"That's the one," said Hiccup. "Come on, let's go see what all that racket's about…"

He and Astrid hurried forward instantly. There was a tall wooden fence circling the building beside Dragon's Edge HQ, and Astrid and Hiccup stood on the tips of their toes to look over it.

A boy (he couldn't have been older than sixteen) was sitting inside an open garage. He had black hair and wild eyes; behind him was a small drum set, to his left was a guitar, and to the right, a harp.

"What in the _world…?"_ said Astrid in confusion.

The boy fiddled with three recorders; one labeled _Drums_ , another labeled _Guitar,_ and the third and final labeled _Harp_.

"I'm a little worried to find out just what all of this means," said Astrid.

"I'm with you," said Hiccup. "Hey, kid!" he called, cupping a hand around his mouth, and the boy instantly looked up, dropping his recorders, mouth agape.

"Oh, my _gosh!"_ he said, leaping to his feet and racing over, unlocking the large gate leading into the yard. "You're...you guys are from Dragon's Edge, aren't you?"

Astrid and Hiccup looked at each other, and then back at the boy. "Um, yes, we are," said Hiccup. "We're in the building across the street. And you are…?"

"Oh, the name's Larson!" said the boy, grinning widely. "Gustav Larson! I'm your number one fan!"

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged confused (if not a bit worried) glances.

"Do you see all this?" said the boy, Gustav, gesturing to the many instruments around him. "My parents played for a while, but when they got bored, they rented out this building and gave them to me! Isn't it awesome?"

"Um, yeah, that's awesome, Gustav," said Hiccup. "What are you doing, exactly…?"

"I'm starting a band!" said Gustav excitedly. "A one-man band, actually. I'm doing all the instruments myself, and I'm calling it, the A-Team."

"A-Team?" said Astrid.

"A stands for 'Awesome,'" said Gustav, "and of course, I don't exactly have a _team_ yet, but I will someday! Just wait! One day, I'll have my own band, and we'll be awesome, like you!"

Astrid swallowed.

"I love your guys' music!" said Gustav excitedly. "Your first hit single, oh, that's amazing! I love that song! I sing it to myself all the time! 'Astrid Hofferson, Astrid Hofferson, she is Astrid Hofferson-'"

"I still hate Snotlout for making that song a thing," said Astrid, "but I guess I'm glad someone finds enjoyment in that…"

"Anyways, no time to talk!" said Gustav, racing back to his instruments. "I must rehearse, and then, I must create my own music!" He got behind the drums, took his recorder with him, and banged on them. It sounded so horrible that the instant he started playing, Astrid, Hiccup, and Toothless ran for their lives.

"Do you think we should tell the rest of the gang about him?" said Hiccup.

"I think we should _definitely_ tell the rest of the gang about him," said Astrid, nodding seriously.

…

 **DAY: JUNE 21  
** **TIME: 12:47 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

But as it turned out, the rest of the gang was already aware of Gustav Larson's presence, and this was made known to Hiccup and Astrid the moment they walked into their building.

Snotlout was laying face-down on the couch, two pillows pressed against either side of his head, shielding his ears. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had earbuds stuffed into their ears, and Fishlegs was covering his ears with his hands.

"I take it you met the new neighbor," said Astrid.

"We didn't _meet_ him," said Snotlout furiously. "He came to us first and asked if we'd mind him using the building next door. I _would_ have said _no_ if the little squirt had told me exactly _why_ he wanted to use the building."

"Well, there has to be something we can do," said Hiccup. "Maybe we could come up with some sort of agreement? You know. Kids around here are pretty agreeable."

"They're _agreeable_ all right," said Snotlout angrily. "But this little kid's more stubborn than a mule. He ain't moving."

"Maybe we can make some sort of agreement with him," said Hiccup, "like I said. There has to be something we can do."

"Or," said Tuffnut, "we could bring out the subwoofer and blow him away with feedback."

"Tuffnut, we're not going to do that," said Fishlegs crossly.

"It'd be easier than trying to come up with some sort of _agreement_ ," said Ruffnut, crossing her arms after pulling her earbuds out. "I'm gettin' _reaaaaalll_ tired of listening to Gustav's one-man-band recordings."

"Can we sue him?"

"No, Tuffnut," said Hiccup.

" _Come on!"_

"Well, we have to do _something_ ," said Snotlout. "I don't know how much more of that _racket_ I can stand."

"Look, Snotlout, we all started somewhere," said Fishlegs. "I wasn't born an expert keyboardist, just like you weren't born with a great singing voice, or Astrid with guitar skills or Hiccup with drumming. These things take time."

"Well, Gustav can take _all the time he wants_ ," said Snotlout, getting to his feet, "but he can do that, _elsewhere_."

"His parents rented out the building," said Astrid. "Technically, he isn't breaking any rules."

"But we can complain!" said Snotlout. "Hiccup, your dad's a cop, isn't he?"

"We aren't bringing my dad into this," said Hiccup. "Besides, I don't think we have to worry about it. Chances are, Gustav will get bored, and when school gets back in, he won't have as much time to practice, right?"

"True," said Astrid.

"I still say we sue him," said Tuffnut.

"Tuffnut, no," said Fishlegs. "We don't want to crush his spirit. We can tell him carefully, if it gets too bad, but other than that...yeah. We'll just have to learn to live with it."

Snotlout crossed his arms; so did Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"Fine," said Snotlout, "but if it gets much worse, I'm going to have to have a heart-to-heart with little 'biggest-fan.'"

…

 **DAY: JUNE 24  
** **TIME: 4:17 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

It got worse.

Quickly.

Gustav's music quickly became more of a nuisance than it ever had been before, and every day, he seemed to be playing even worse than the day before. Snotlout expressed this one morning, trying to drain out Gustav's recordings with headphones.

"Gustav gets worse and worse every day," said Snotlout, raising his voice to get it over the loud, obnoxious _BANG, BANG, BANG_ of Gustav's drums. "And today, he's playing like next week."

It was then the members of Dragon's Edge decided that yes, they did have a bit of a problem on their hands.

"OKAY!" Snotlout finally snapped, jumping to his feet and storming towards the door. "I HAVE HAD _ENOUGH!_ I'm going to march over there, and tell Gustav this is just too much!"

Fishlegs, Astrid, and Hiccup exchanged glances, and then, they, along with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, chased after Snotlout to make sure he didn't do anything drastic.

When they arrived at Gustav's house, the music stopped abruptly, and for a moment, Hiccup wondered why. They stepped through the gate, into the backyard, and right up to Gustav, who was stuffing his recorders into a suitcase, along with his drumsticks and guitar picks.

"Um...hey, kid," said Snotlout. "What are you doing?"

Gustav turned to look at them. Instantly, his features brightened, and he gasped. "Oh my gosh!" he shouted. "You're...you're all here! This is amazing! I've always wanted to meet you guys personally!" He seized Snotlout's hand and shook it vigorously, and then, in turn, Ruffnut's, Tuffnut's, and Fishlegs'.

"I am your _biggest_ fan," said Gustav. "Literally _the biggest_. You guys are legends! Amazing!"

"Aw, thanks, Gustav," said Fishlegs.

"What are you doing with that suitcase, Gust-er?" said Tuffnut, gesturing to the blue and black suitcase.

"Oh…" said Gustav, and he sighed. "My dad got a job transfer, so we're moving in a few weeks...but it'll be better for us all once we move!" Gustav brightened up again. "My dad is going to get _double_ his usual pay for this new job, and we're going to get some awesome property, maybe ten acres, even! That'd be exciting…"

"Hey, sweet, Gustav," said Hiccup. "Good for you."

"Yeah!" said Gustav. "Hopefully I can recruit some more people for the A-Team over there. We're going to have so much fun! But yeah, we're moving pretty soon, so I'm going to get packed up…"

"Do you need any help moving stuff?" said Ruffnut. "'Cause I totally volunteer my brother to do it."

"No, I think I'm okay," said Gustav. "Oh! Wait! There is _something_ you guys could do…" He turned and raced into the garage, leaving the members of Dragon's Edge outside. Gustav quickly returned with a poster of the Dragon's Edge logo: a black dragon curled into itself with blocky lightning-bolt like letters reading _DRAGON'S EDGE_ in white.

"Can you guys sign my poster?" said Gustav. "No one will believe me when I tell them that I met you otherwise."

"Um...sure!" said Snotlout. Gustav handed him a sharpie, and they signed their names, one by one; Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Astrid, and finally, Hiccup. Gustav, grinning, rolled up the poster and packed it carefully in his suitcase.

"Thanks so much, guys!" said Gustav. "Seriously! Thank you!" He shook their hands again.

"Yeah, no sweat," said Snotlout. "Good luck to you, Gustav."

"Thanks!" said Gustav, smiling even wider, and Astrid, Fishlegs, the twins, Snotlout, and Hiccup headed off, back towards HQ.

"Not a bad kid," said Snotlout. "Who knows. Maybe someday he'll be famous."

Hiccup shrugged.


	10. Divided Against Itself

**Hey guys! Yeah, it's been a little while. Sorry about that! :( BUT I'M HERE NOW! :D**

 **Oh, a few of you were wondering if Viggo, Ryker, Alvin, or any of the other "bad guys" of HttYD are going to come into this, and the answer is:**

 **PROBABLY.**

 **The Red Deaths have nothing to do with Viggo and Ryker at the time, however; Alvin the Treacherous will, I PROMISE, will, be introduced sometime pretty soon, before we've reached twenty chapters of this story for sure. I'm still trying to figure everything out in this story, find out where to put Heather and how to give her some more scenes, too. :)**

 **QUESTION: DO YOU GUYS EVENTUALLY WANT ME TO ADD VALKA?**

 **BECAUSE I CAN.**

 **LET ME KNOW! :D ENJOY CHAPTER 10!**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 10: DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF**_

 **DAY: JUNE 20 - THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **TIME: 9:00 AM - 9 HOURS PRIOR TO BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Ruffnut and Tuffnut held one glowstick in each hand, though it was daytime and the light of the glowsticks were impossible to see. In front of them, Snotlout backed their black, twelve-seater van towards the trailer hitch.

"You're good...you're good...you're good…" directed Tuffnut. "Aaaaannnddd…STOP! HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

Snotlout instantly stopped the van, pulled the keys from the ignition, and got out of the car, heading towards Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "Okay, guys!" he said, as he began to hook the trailer to their van, "you guys can go ahead and start bringing out the amplifiers and sound equipment. We packed it all yesterday, right?"

"Right," said the twins, and they raced off.

All the music equipment was packed in assigned bags or cases and piled by the door - Fishlegs' keyboard, Astrid and Snotlout's guitars, Hiccup's drums, and then, their chords and amplifiers. Ruffnut and Tuffnut got on either side of their largest monitor, grabbed it, counted down from three, and lifted it, carrying it outside and to their trailer.

"Isn't this exciting?" squealed Fishlegs, grabbing the handle of his keyboard case and making for the door; Hiccup pulled a symbol bag over his shoulder, along with another smaller bag of drum sticks. Astrid grabbed her guitar case, swinging the strap over her shoulder.

"Yes, very exciting," said Hiccup. "The Battle of the Bands...I honestly can't wait for it! And I think the song Snotlout chose for it is perfect, too. Definitely fits the theme of Dragon's Edge."

Fishlegs, Astrid, and Hiccup headed outside, nearly ran into the twins, who had put the monitor in the trailer and were returning for more, and headed to the back of the van, where the door of the trailer remained ajar.

"Here," Hiccup said, climbing into the trailer, "hand me stuff, and I'll put it in."

Fishlegs handed him the keyboard first, and once Hiccup had put it away, Astrid's guitar came next. Fishlegs and Astrid then headed back inside HQ to grab more, nearly running into the twins yet a second time. The twins and Hiccup hauled their largest amplifier into the back of their trailer, and then, the twins raced off again.

Snotlout came next, his guitar case in one hand and a bag of chords in the other. He handed these both to Hiccup, and while Hiccup turned to set them down, Snotlout sighed.

"If we win this," said Snotlout, "we're going to use half of our prize money to get a new trailer. I mean, for the price we got this hunk of junk at, it's pretty great, but it ain't going to last very long without falling apart."

"Right," said Hiccup, grabbing a mic stand from Fishlegs when he approached and setting it in the trailer. "Well, it's definitely something to think about, Snotlout."

"Here's the subwoofer stuff, Hiccup," said Astrid, and she and Ruffnut hauled a large, green box between them. Tuffnut jumped into the trailer, and he and Hiccup took the box from Astrid and Ruffnut and set it down in the back.

"Okay!" said Snotlout. "Are we all nearly packed up? We have backup music sheets, just in case we need them?"

"Here!" said Fishlegs, raising a folder, which he threw into the back of the trailer along with everything else.

"Okay, let's do a check, make sure we have everything," said Snotlout, and he started checking off his fingers. "Got my guitar, Astrid's guitar, guitar chords, mic chords, mic, Hiccup's drums, Fishlegs' keyboard, two monitors, two amplifiers, chords for the monitors and the amplifiers, backup sheet music, mascot-" Toothless woofed. "-subwoofer equipment, drumsticks, extra strings just in case one of ours snaps - hey, don't look at me like that, it'd be unfortunate - Fishlegs' keyboard amp, guitar amps, mic stand, extra chords, guitar picks-"

"Snotlout, the University isn't _that_ far away," said Astrid. "If worst comes to worst, we could always drive back and pick up whatever we forgot later, after we unload everything else. I think we have all the necessities."

"All right," said Snotlout. "In which case…" He held up his car keys, grinning. "Let's go battle some bands!"

"WHOO-HOO!" shouted the twins, throwing their hands into the air, and Tuffnut jumped in the front seat to sit shot-gun, while Fishlegs and Ruffnut sat in the back row, and Astrid and Hiccup, after shutting and locking their trailer's door, took the middle row with Toothless sitting by the window, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Seatbelts, guys?" called Snotlout, looking at them through the mirror. "That includes you, Ruffnut...There you go! And we…" He put the key into the ignition. "...Are…" He turned the key dramatically; the engine roared to life. "...Rolling!"

The van sped off, down the street, and onto the highway.

Berk wasn't a big city, but it was decent sized, and Berk University was located on the other side of town, which was inconvenient, but the drive wasn't that long still. Within half an hour, they pulled into the University's parking lot.

Snotlout suddenly slammed on the brakes, which made several "OUCH!"es emanate from the passengers as they choked themselves on their seatbelts. "Sorry, guys," Snotlout said. "Man, this place is crowded…"

Tuffnut looked out the window. Several upon several of cars were lined, waiting for safe parking. "Wow," said Tuffnut. "Nice turn up."

"I don't think I've ever seen the University this crowded," said Astrid, unsnapping her seatbelt and leaning out the window. "Yeah. I've definitely never seen it this crowded before."

"I'm surprised the police aren't over here directing traffic," said Snotlout. "Hang on, guys...I'm going to try and back into that parking spot there…"

"Are you sure you can do it with the trailer?" said Fishlegs.

"I'll try anything once," said Snotlout, which didn't reassure anyone, and with determination, he turned the van and sped towards the nearest open parking spot. "Okay...Fishlegs, let me know if I'm going to hit anything…"

"Okay," said Fishlegs, nodding, and Snotlout began backing up. "Okay...you're good...you're good…"

The entire car shuddered, and there was a _BUMP_.

"Curb!" shouted Fishlegs. "My bad, my bad!"

Snotlout growled under his breath and pulled the car forward again, just slightly, until the trailer tires rolled off of the curve and onto solid ground.

Tuffnut looked out the window. "You're on the line, dude," said Tuffnut.

Snotlout opened his door and checked his parking. "Close enough," he said, and he unsnapped himself and climbed out of the van. "Everybody out! We're going in!"

Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless got out the side door while Tuffnut hopped out of the passenger seat. Each of them wore black shirts with lightning-bolt like letters reading _DRAGON'S EDGE_ in white letters on the front of them. Above the letters, a dragon silhouetted against a full moon.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut had designed the graphics on them and had a friend of theirs print the designs on t-shirts, only days before the Battle of the Bands. They had been insistent that everyone wore them. Even Toothless wore a special keychain of the logo on his collar.

"Okay, guys, I have an idea," said Snotlout, throwing Hiccup the keys to the trailer. "I'm going to pull into the back of the University, and you guys can go ahead and unload everything from the trailer. That way we don't have to keep walking back and forth hauling our music equipment around."

"Good idea," said Fishlegs. "We'll go ahead and walk there. Meet you at the back."

Snotlout nodded, took his car keys, and got back into their van. Meanwhile, Astrid, Hiccup, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut headed across the crowded parking lot, towards the University.

…

 **DAY: JUNE 20 - THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **TIME: 5:30 PM - 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Unloading didn't take very long. It was everything else that did.

There were tons of other bands there. Dozens, and they had all set up booths to advertise for their bands. The runner-up winner of last year's Battle of the Bands, the Nadder Sisters, tried to flag Astrid down and have her buy a t-shirt.

They had told Astrid that black definitely wasn't her color, which had Astrid nearly fuming, and Hiccup dragged her off before she could do something drastic.

The University had a small stage inside, and hundreds of chairs were lined with an aisle down the middle, leading to the stage. It was tricky, setting themselves up while trying not to get in the way of everyone else setting up, but eventually, finally, they managed it.

Half an hour prior to the beginning of the battle.

At the moment, Astrid, Fishlegs, Hiccup, Snotlout, and the twins were sitting backstage at their reserved table, and Snotlout was fuming, glaring at the schedule he had been handed as they walked in.

"We're act four, guys," Snotlout said furiously, handing the piece of paper to Fishlegs. "Right after the Iron Gronckles. I mean, seriously. Who names their band the Iron Gronckles? Is Gronckle even a word? What the heck?"

"Well, at least we're before the Red Deaths," said Fishlegs, passing the paper to Astrid. Astrid read it over.

"Before us," said Astrid, "at six o'clock, we have the Nadder Sisters - oh, man, how did _they_ get ahead of us? - and then at six ten, the Two-Headed Destruction, six twenty, Monsters of Nightmares - what kind of name is _that?_ \- six thirty, Iron Gronckles, and then, we're up at six forty. Right after us, six fifty, is the Red Deaths."

"So we have to wait half an hour for the battle to start," said Snotlout, "and then, we have to wait another forty minutes before we can actually _do anything?_ I feel so cheated right now."

"Each band only has ten minutes, Snotlout," said Fishlegs pointedly. "We'll be on stage before you know it."

"Okay, but before we do," said Tuffnut, "Ruff and I were thinking we could find some way to prank the guys at the main sound booth, you know? Maybe put a fake beetle in their coffee?"

"We don't want to get kicked out of the battle before it begins, Tuffnut," said Hiccup. "Sorry guys."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut sighed. "Sometimes I forget that not everyone appreciates a good prank," said Tuffnut.

"I'm sure I would," said Hiccup, "if the 'good prank' didn't threaten to get us disqualified." He checked his watch. "Five forty," he announced. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna make sure the subwoofer is plugged in."

"All right," said Fishlegs, "but hurry back, alright?"

Hiccup nodded, got up from his seat, and headed off, beckoning for Toothless to follow him. Once Hiccup and the border collie were out of sight, Snotlout turned, frowned, and sighed.

"Hey, Ruff, Tuff?" said Snotlout. "If you guys are up to it, I see someone I wouldn't mind you playing a good prank on."

"Really?" said Tuffnut excitedly. "Who?"

Snotlout jerked his head to the left, and the band members turned their heads in that direction. Dagur and his gang walked towards them, grinning, biker RED DEATH jackets pulled over black shirts.

"Great," said Tuffnut. "Now, how can we prank these guys…?"

"Looks like you showed up after all," said Dagur, grinning. "I thought you would've learned your lesson and stopped while you had the chance. This entire thing is just going to be one heap of disappointed embarrassment for you guys, believe you me."

"Oh, right," said Astrid. "And that'll be really embarrassing, when we beat _you_."

"You aren't going to beat me!" said Dagur. "See, I've made it one-hundred-percent impossible for you to beat me!"

At this, Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins frowned.

"If you're talking about cheating," said Astrid threateningly, "we'll turn you in. They don't tolerate cheaters in this battle."

"Oh, you mean, you guys haven't actually figured it out yet?" said Dagur. "Wow. And I thought you were smarter than that."

"Figured _what_ out?" snapped Snotlout.

"Oh, well…" Dagur paused. "Okay. I wasn't going to tell you this, but then I thought, well, maybe I'll spare them the embarrassment. It's one thing to screw up while practicing, but screwing up in front of an entire audience...now _that_ is _really_ bad for reputations."

"What are you talking about?" growled Astrid, coming to the end of her rope.

"Hiccup, obviously!" said Dagur, throwing his hands into the air. "He's tricking all of you, isn't it obvious? Ever since the beginning, he's been tricking all of you!"

"Huh?" said Tuffnut. "Sorry, but now I'm _really_ confused."

Dagur groaned and sighed heavily. "Just what I expected from simpletons like yourselves," he said. " _I_ hired Hiccup to volunteer as your drummer. I knew you would enter the Battle of the Bands as soon as your band was complete. Part of our agreement was him messing up your entire song by lagging on the drums, or going too fast on them."

Snotlout crossed his arms. "Shut up, Dagur," he snapped. "You're lying. It's what you do."

"Oh, am I, Snotlout?" said Dagur, also crossing his arms. "Are you willing to put it to the test?"

Snotlout faltered.

"Yeah," said Dagur, "I didn't think so."

"Hiccup wouldn't do that to us!" said Fishlegs, speaking more to Snotlout and the twins than anyone else. "We know him!"

"You _think_ you know him," said Dagur. "Tell me honestly. Did you think it was weird that Hiccup stood up to me, the supposed 'first time' he ever saw me? I mean, I don't know about you, but I think I'm a kind of intimidating guy. No one in their right mind just stands up to me...unless they know for sure they're on my side."

Snotlout swallowed. "How do I know you're not bluffing?" Snotlout demanded.

Dagur smirked. "You don't," he said. "But think about it, Snotlout. If that audience sees your drummer butchering your songs, they aren't going to want your band around. It'll ruin your reputation for good. Think about it, Snotlout. Think about it."

He turned and left on that note, without another word, leaving Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins stunned in his wake.


	11. Bringing Home the Gold

**Hello! :) Thanks for all your encouraging reviews last chapter! You guys are amazing! :D This chapter moves pretty quickly. :) And the next chapter will have lots of feels, so I promise you that. :) Anyways, enjoy chapter 11! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 11: BRINGING HOME THE GOLD**_

 **DAY: JUNE 20 - THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **TIME: 5:45 PM - 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"Dagur, what a liar," said Astrid, shaking her head. "I can't believe he thinks we're that gullible. We know Hiccup too well for that. He'd never betray us."

Tuffnut swallowed. "But it was kind of weird," he said, "you know, the day he stood up to Dagur...I always thought it was crazy confident of him...but now, I'm not so sure it was just confidence…"

Astrid and Fishlegs whipped their heads around to stare at him. "WHAT!?" shouted Fishlegs, leaping to his feet. "What are you _talking_ about!? We _know_ Hiccup! He wouldn't do that to us!"

"Maybe," said Snotlout, "but...maybe not…" He looked at the schedule. "It's not too late to pull out of the competition," he said. "We could go up to the front desk and tell them, I don't know, some sort of emergency, and we couldn't preform…"

"Snotlout, you can't do that!" said Astrid angrily. "There are no refunds on the entry fee! And besides, it wouldn't be fair to the rest of us! And _double_ besides, Hiccup would never do that! You know he wouldn't!"

"Astrid, please!" said Snotlout, putting forward his hand. "I'm in charge of this band, and that means I make the rules! If I want to pull us out of the competition, I'm going to pull us out of the competition!"

The timing was perfect. At that moment, Hiccup showed up, just in time to hear the last of Snotlout's statement. "Wait, what?" said Hiccup. "Why would you want to pull us out of the competition?"

"Oh, I don't know, _Hiccup_ ," drawled Snotlout. "Why don't you tell me?"

"What?" Hiccup said, dumbfounded, stepping backwards. " _What?_ What did I miss?"

"Dagur said you were tricking us," said Ruffnut. "That you planned to sabotage our act in the competition and make us lose."

"What? Why would I do that!?" Hiccup blurted. "I would _never_ do that! Are you _serious?"_

"Dead serious," said Snotlout, getting to his feet. "Even if you aren't going to ruin our act, I'm pulling us out of the contest. Better to be safe than sorry."

He brushed past Hiccup, purposefully knocking their shoulders together, and storming off, towards the lobby of the University.

"Snotlout, no!" shouted Astrid, leaping to her feet and taking after him, pursued by Fishlegs, and soon after, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who seemed to be pursuing Astrid and Fishlegs more than Snotlout.

"Not cool, H.," said Tuffnut over his shoulder as he raced off. "Not cool."

Hiccup watched them in desperation, Toothless standing by his side, also watching in confusion, and Hiccup swallowed hard.

What just happened?

But then he remembered what Ruffnut had said. Dagur had planted seeds of doubt in his friends' mind, had he? Well, Hiccup would plant his _fist_ in Dagur's _face_ if ever he saw him again…

Hiccup looked towards the back doors. If Dagur and his gang had come in, they must have gone out the same way. So he and Toothless took off, towards the door, and finally, outside.

It was dark. Hiccup glanced down at his watch: _5:53._ Seven minutes until the Battle of the Bands began. Oh, this was a _mess_...what was he supposed to do? He wouldn't be able to convince Snotlout or the twins he hadn't been working with Dagur. There was just no way…

Hiccup suddenly froze, his eyes falling on one of the many cars parked behind the building.

It was bright red. A sports car. And for some reason, it looked familiar...it _felt_ familiar…

And then he remembered.

He moved to the back of the car for just a second to catch a glance at the bumper. Sure enough, there was a bumper sticker; one the news had been trying to identify for months, ever since the accident.

The bumper sticker read _THE RED DEATHS_ in bright red, blocky letters that took Hiccup a few minutes to read.

That explained it.

Hiccup instantly pulled out his phone and ducked into a shadow, whistling for Toothless to come with him. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear, waited a ring or two, and the receiver picked up.

" _Berk County Police Department, Stoick Haddock, Chief of Police speaking."_

"Dad, it's Hiccup," said Hiccup instantly, and he began to pace back and forth, just slightly, still looking over the sports car.

" _Hiccup! What are you doing calling the police department? What's wrong?"_

"Dad, I found the car that hit me," said Hiccup, not wasting any time, glancing down at his prosthetic. At that moment, the back door swung open, and Hiccup pressed himself against the wall to avoid being seen. Dagur and the rest of his gang stormed out of the University, towards their sports car. They opened the trunk and began unloading music equipment from it.

"...And the criminals behind it," Hiccup said into the phone.

Unfortunately, he had said it just loud enough to be heard; he hadn't counted on the walls around him echoing his voice, and that's exactly what happened. Dagur and his two other pals turned and stared Hiccup straight in the eye.

Hiccup stared back at them. Toothless bared his teeth.

"I should've known," said Dagur, crossing his arms. "Calling the police on us, are you, squirt?"

" _Hiccup, stay where you are,"_ said Stoick over the phone. _"We're on our way, just stay where you are."_

Dagur and his gang approached him steadily, punching their fists into open palms. Hiccup swallowed. Toothless growled.

"Um, great, Dad," said Hiccup, "yeah, sounds great, hurry, though. I'm in the parking lot behind Berk University. Hang on just one sec…yeah, I have to go."

" _Hiccup, don't you dare hang up-!"_

Click.

Hiccup pocketed his phone and swallowed.

"I've waited a long time to do this, squirt," said Dagur threateningly. "There's no friends of yours to stop me now."

"Dagur, don't make your sentence in prison any worse," said Hiccup.

"Oh, I've done time, Hiccup," said Dagur. "I'm used to it."

Hiccup gulped down any fear he had and pulled one of his drum sticks from the bag around his neck - he had forgotten to take it off upon arrival at the Battle of the Bands, and he was happy he had.

Dagur chuckled darkly. "What are you going to do?" Dagur asked tauntingly. "Drum me to death?"

Hiccup swallowed again.

He had no idea what he was going to do.

Toothless snarled dangerously. Hiccup raised his drum sticks.

Unbeknownst to himself, and to Dagur and his gang, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were watching from the shadows, spying on Hiccup. They exchanged glances, nodded to each other in unison, and raced back into the University.

They had to tell the others.

…

 **DAY: JUNE 20 - THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **TIME: 5:59 PM - 1 MINUTE PRIOR TO BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"Snotlout, you can't do this!" said Astrid, as Snotlout stormed towards the front desk in the lobby. "Hiccup wouldn't do something like that to us, and you know he wouldn't! So why are you going through with this? You know we can't trust Dagur! You know he'll do anything and everything to tear us up from the inside!"

Snotlout opened his mouth to answer, when Ruffnut and Tuffnut suddenly burst from nowhere, grabbing Snotlout's arm to stop him from walking any further.

"Dagur...lied…" Tuffnut panted. "Hiccup...police...car…"

"Wait, what?" said Fishlegs. "Hiccup has a police car?"

"No!" said Ruffnut, getting her breath back. "Hiccup found the car that hit him, that made him lose his leg! It's the Red Deaths'! They hit Hiccup, and Hiccup just called the police on them!"

"But they totally figured it out," said Tuffnut. "They're ganging up on him! He's in trouble!"

That was all Tuffnut had to say before the members of Dragon's Edge were turning and racing off, towards the back door of the University with Tuffnut in the lead, just as a voice over the loudspeakers announcing the start of the Battle of the Bands.

…

 **DAY: JUNE 20 - THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **TIME: 6:01 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Dagur slammed Hiccup against the wall, and instantly, Toothless reacted. He lunged forward and sank his teeth straight into Dagur's shin as hard as he could, and Dagur yowled, kicking his leg furiously in an attempt to dislodge the dog. It didn't work, and Hiccup used this moment to his advantage and whacked Dagur across the face with his drum stick.

Toothless finally released Dagur, and Dagur stumbled backwards, clutching his leg. "Vorg, Savage!" Dagur shouted at his other pals, pointing an accusing finger at Hiccup. " _Get him!"_

The other two, Vorg and Savage, instantly raced forward, but before they even got _close_ to touching Hiccup, Toothless leapt between them and his boy, snarling fiercely and dangerously.

Vorg and Savage hesitated. They may have been reckless and stupid, but they weren't stupid enough to attack a boy guarded by a fierce, snarling border collie who had just dug its fangs into their leader's shin. Dagur's leg was bleeding pretty badly, too, and that would be enough to scare _anyone_.

"Stay away from us," Hiccup demanded.

Vorg and Savage hesitated.

In their moment's pause, though, the back door flew open, and five black shapes charged forward.

Astrid tackled Dagur.

She flat-out _tackled_ him, which stunned Hiccup a bit at first. Snotlout and the twins, meanwhile, dove into Vorg, and Fishlegs pounced Savage.

Toothless dropped his protective stance and watched in somewhat confusion, somewhat amusement, as Dagur and his gang were knocked down, to the ground, bruised, and in Dagur's case, bleeding.

Astrid, Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs finally got off of them, and the Red Deaths sprang to their feet.

"I'm callin' the cops," Dagur threatened.

 _Wee-oo-wee-oo-wee-oo._

"They're already here," said Hiccup smugly.

Four police cars pulled in behind him, lights blaring red and blue.

Dagur's confidence vanished as though it had never even existed.

…

 **DAY: JUNE 20 - THE DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS  
** **TIME: 6:31 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

It took a lot longer than any of them would have hoped before the police got the story from Hiccup and the others, an appointment scheduled for them to recount it again at the police office, and Dagur, Vorg, and Savage to be taken away in the backs of the police cars.

"Are you sure you're alright, Hiccup?" Stoick asked his son for the utmost time.

"I'm fine, Dad," said Hiccup. "Toothless protected me." Toothless growled and nodded in agreement.

"All right," said Stoick. "I'll see you at the house tonight, Hiccup. I have some personal talking to do with Dagur…"

"Okay, Dad," said Hiccup. "I'll see you later."

Once the police had left, Hiccup, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Astrid, and Fishlegs, with Toothless prancing behind them, walked back into the University.

"I'm sorry we doubted you, Hiccup," said Snotlout finally. "And don't expect me to repeat myself, 'cause I won't-"

"I forgive you, Snotlout," said Hiccup.

"And we're sorry too, H.," said Ruffnut. "Dagur can be manipulative…"

A loud, booming voice suddenly came over the loudspeakers, and the members of Dragon's Edge froze where they stood to listen.

 _"And next up on the stage, the Iron Gronckles! Following them, is Dragon's Edge!"_

"Oh, shoot, guys!" said Snotlout. "We're on in ten minutes!" He looked down at his watch, and then back up at his band. "Okay...are you ready for this?"

Hiccup twirled his drum stick - the same one he had whacked Dagur across the face with. "I'm ready," said Hiccup.

"We second his ready," said the twins.

"And same here," said Astrid.

"I'm ready," said Fishlegs.

"Good!" said Snotlout, grinning. "Then it's backstage with us! We're on in ten minutes, people! Let's make this count!"

…

 **DAY: JUNE 20  
** **TIME: 6:40  
** **YEAR: 2015**

As the audience's applause finally came to a stop, Snotlout glanced over his shoulder at Hiccup, who was behind him at his drumset. Fishlegs was behind his keyboard, and Astrid and Snotlout's guitars were strapped around their shoulders.

Snotlout nodded to Hiccup, and Hiccup counted to four in his head, hit the high-hat twice, and the song began.

The subwoofer hooked up to Hiccup's kickdrum made the sound so much more projected, distorted but at the same time clear, which gave the song an easy flow. Fishlegs played his keyboard with its setting on _Strings_ , and Astrid waited for the right moment to come in with her guitar.

They got the audience clapping, actually, before the first verse even came in. Hiccup choked the symbol eight times in perfect rhythm, and Snotlout came in with the lyrics.

" _Let the wind carry us,_

" _To the clouds, hurry up,_

" _Alright._

" _We can travel so far,_

" _As our eyes can see…"_

…

 **DAY: JUNE 20  
** **TIME: 6:50  
** **YEAR: 2015**

"That was incredible!" said Snotlout as he, Hiccup, Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs headed backstage; the applause of the crowd was still going, even now, after they had exited the stage.

"I feel _exhilarated_ ," said Tuffnut. "Let's do it again!"

"So, when do we find out if we won, Snotlout?" said Astrid.

"They'll send out letters to each of the competitors," said Snotlout breezily. "And if we win, they'll tell us in the letter and send in the thousand dollar prize money and trophy."

"Awesome!" said Ruffnut. "I like trophies! Shiny!"

"The subwoofer sounded _amazing,_ Hiccup!" said Astrid, punching Hiccup on the shoulder. "We should use that more often!"

"We really should!" said Hiccup, grinning. "It's so fun."

"If you ask me," said Snotlout, "we have this contest in the bag. I mean, _listen_." He paused. "They're _still_ clapping."

...

 **DAY: JUNE 27  
** **TIME: 8:54 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Snotlout barged into Dragon's Edge HQ that morning, and over his head he waved a piece of paper, and a torn envelope. Fishlegs, Astrid, the twins, and Hiccup jumped in their seats when he ran in. Snotlout's was smiling so big it was in danger of splitting his face in half.

 _"WE WON!"_ he shouted, thrusting the paper to Hiccup, who was closest. _"WE WON THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS!"_

"Oh, my _gosh!"_ Hiccup shouted, leaping to his feet once he had read over it. "We won! We really _did_ win!"

"NO WAY!" shouted Ruffnut and Tuffnut in unison, and Tuffnut snatched the paper away from Hiccup. "OH MY GOSH, WE WON! WE WON!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut bashed their heads together in triumph.

"THIS IS INCREDIBLE!" squealed Fishlegs. "We won! I can't believe we actually won!"

"I knew we could do it!" said Snotlout, grinning widely. " _We_ _did it!"_


	12. Just Breathe

**Hello! Sorry this took me so long. :/ I'm trying to think about this story as well as Race to the Edge Fanfiction Season 1B and 3B...I really don't have a set updating schedule for this piece, sort of like "Ouch!"; it's going to be pretty sporadic. :)**

 **So, sorry about that, guys. As much as I'd love to be able to write non-stop all day, I have school (sigh), migraines (heavier sigh), and LIFE. (Very heavy sight). But anyways, here's chapter 12! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 12: JUST BREATHE**_

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 6:16 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Behind the A-Frame log cabin of Hiccup's house, there was a dog run that circled all around the fenced property like a hedge maze in an exceptionally large garden. The fence that made up the dog run was made from tall logs and chicken wire; it was make-shift, something they made watching YouTube videos shortly after they got Toothless from the animal shelter.

Hiccup stood at the front of the dog run, and beside him stood the fluffy border collie, Toothless, who looked more like a ball of fluff with a face than an actual dog. Tongue hanging out of his mouth, Toothless panted, looking up at Hiccup expectantly.

Hiccup took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. He could see his breath in the cold morning air. He glanced down at the ground; his prosthetic, now a more permanent one, was strapped to what was left of his leg.

He swallowed hard, but looked on in determination.

"It's only a mile," he told himself. "A mile all the way around, and then we're done for today."

Toothless woofed happily.

"Okay, Toothless," Hiccup said, looking down at the dog, who looked right back at him excitedly, "we're going to take it slow at first, alright?"

Toothless nodded gravely (if a dog could really be grave. Toothless was the smartest and most expressive dog Hiccup had ever seen). Toothless looked down the dog run with determination; even though the collie seldom used the run himself, he knew why they were here.

It wasn't about him.

It was about Hiccup.

"Okay," Hiccup said, "so, I don't know…" He looked down at his prosthetic. "Should we go…?"

Toothless nodded, crouched, and sprang. The dog acted like a cat sometimes, which became exceedingly annoying. After a moment, in which Hiccup watched Toothless run for a few moments, stop, and then look back at Hiccup and _woof!_ at him prompting, Hiccup bit his lip and set off after the dog.

…

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 8:26 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

It took Hiccup a lot longer than he had ever hoped to make the course, but the doctor had told him it would take time. A long time. Walking wasn't as hard as it had been a few days ago, but it was still tricky; Hiccup found himself stumbling occasionally, but he was getting the hang of it, slowly but surely, which was a good thing.

He stepped, half-limping, into the back door of his house, Toothless, dirty-pawed, prancing beside him. Hiccup took of his shoe at the door as well as his jacket; Toothless, meanwhile, shook his paws out over the porch's mat - something the dog had picked up after watching Stoick and Hiccup wipe their shoes on the mat for years.

The back door led straight into the kitchen, and Hiccup quickly crossed the room, still limping, and Toothless still following him. They went into the living room of their house; Hiccup's father, Stoick, Chief of Police, was wearing his uniform, car keys in his hand.

"I told you, Dad, you don't have to keep taking half-days," Hiccup said for what felt like the hundredth time - ever since the car accident, in which Hiccup had lost his leg, Stoick had been trying to leave the house as little as possible, and though Hiccup understood his motives, it was becoming tedious.

"I'm seventeen, I can take care of myself," Hiccup said. "Why don't you leave earlier?"

Stoick didn't answer him straight - Stoick rarely did. "Did you walk the half a mile, like I told you to," said Stoick flatly, "or did you walk the entire mile?"

Hiccup opened his mouth, paused, and snapped his jaw shut with an audible click.

"That, Hiccup," said Stoick pointedly. " _That_ , is why I don't leave earlier."

"But it wasn't that much farther!" Hiccup protested. "And, if you remember, the people at the hospital said that in order to actually get _used_ to having a prosthetic, you have to _walk_ with a prosthetic."

"I am well aware of what the hospital said, Hiccup," said Stoick, "probably even more than you are. They said specifically _not to push yourself_."

"I wasn't pushing myself!"

" _Hickory…"_

Hiccup snapped his mouth shut again. Toothless gave Hiccup a pointed look. "Whose side are you on, Toothless?" said Hiccup.

" _Woof!"_

"Great. Dog pity."

Stoick sighed. "Has it been five hours since you last took your meds?"

"Dad, I don't need them-"

"Yes you do," said Stoick. "Tell me honestly. Is your leg hurting you?"

Hiccup opened his mouth.

"All right. Go take them."

"I didn't even say anything!" Hiccup protested.

"You didn't _need_ to."

Hiccup sighed heavily. His father walked into their garage, and Hiccup, meanwhile, defeated, turned back to the kitchen. Before he took one step, he saw that Toothless had already grabbed Hiccup's bottle of painkillers from the table, and the collie presented it to Hiccup, covered in dog slobber.

"So you're on the side of the meds, aren't you, Toothless?"

Toothless sighed, if a dog could really sigh, and dropped the bottle in front of Hiccup before racing off to grab the second one (meds to help prevent infection) from the table. Hiccup popped open the bottle and dry-swallowed the only two painkilling pills left in it.

"Did you take them?" Stoick's voice shouted through the house.

"It hasn't been ten seconds!" Hiccup called back, just as Toothless dropped the second bottle of meds in front of Hiccup and sat down, tail swishing against the floor. "Don't play innocent with me, Toothless," Hiccup said, and Toothless howled at him indignantly; Hiccup took two of the other pills, just as his dad walked back into the living room.

"Out of painkillers," Hiccup said.

"All right," said Stoick, taking the empty bottle. "I'll get it refilled when I go out."

"Dad, you don't need to," Hiccup insisted, "honestly. I'm sure by now the pain would have dulled, you know-"

"I'll believe you around the same time Toothless grows antlers," said Stoick. "The doctors said the pain could last up to two months, Hiccup, and sometimes more after that...especially if you don't take care of yourself and run an entire mile when you were only instructed to run half of one."

"Technically speaking, I wasn't running," Hiccup said. "I was jogging."

"How are you doing on the other pills?"

"Still got half a bottle, but we don't have to refill these. It says not to on the front of the bottle."

Stoick took the bottle and read it himself, just to be sure, and then handed it back. "I'll stop by the house and drop the meds off," Stoick said. "I might be working late tonight."

"Don't worry about it," Hiccup said. "Just...yeah, go apprehend criminals, do police stuff. I'll be here with Toothless."

Toothless barked in agreement.

"All right," said Stoick. "I still expect you to at least text me once an hour."

"Got it," said Hiccup. "I'll see you later."

Stoick nodded, put on his police hat, and stepped outside. Hiccup sighed and sank down onto the couch; Toothless leapt and laid down beside him. Once the engine of Stoick's car faded from earshot, Hiccup looked at Toothless.

"You could at least back me up a _little_ bit, couldn't you, bud?"

Toothless shook his head, undaunted.

"Yeah. I didn't think so."

...

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 10:37 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Despite the fact Hiccup was now on slightly less potent painkillers, they still knocked him out after taking them, and by the time he woke up, he had been sleeping for two hours. After texting his father to explain why he hadn't contacted him sooner, he got out his silver Apple laptop and fiddled with some photo editing and garageband. It soon became boring, and he decided instead of doing nothing, he opened Skype, set up his webcam, and looked to see if any of his friends were online.

Fishlegs wasn't. Snotlout wasn't. The twins were, and so was Astrid, and Hiccup moused over, clicked her name, and selected _Video Call._

For a few moments, three white dots scrolled on and off the screen, and then, a pop-up sprang out of nowhere, and Astrid appeared on the screen. She was wearing her usual spiked headband with her blond hair, this time with a blue streak painted in it, tied into a braid over her shoulder. Behind her was the headboard of her bed; she was up in her room at her house.

"Hey, Hiccup!" she said, once his webcam had finally turned on. "What's up?"

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup said, "not much! Just chilling, really. A little bored. Thought I'd see what you guys were up to."

"Oh, yeah, not much," said Astrid, shrugging. "Snotlout is crazy angry at the guy who hit you. There have been so many news reports about it, Hiccup, you wouldn't _believe_. The police are clueless. What about your dad? Is he working on the case?"

"I think the only reason my dad goes to work anymore is because he's working on the case," said Hiccup. "Otherwise, he'd be here making sure I don't try and do anything stupid."

Astrid blew a bubble with her gum and popped it between her teeth. "Well, honestly, Hiccup, it sounds like something you'd try to do," she said. "Anyways, how's the prosthetic working for you? Got the hang of it yet?"

"Unfortunately no," said Hiccup. "But, you know, it's just...part of the whole process. Toothless is mad at me. He thinks I'm stupid."

Toothless grunted.

Astrid smiled. "Hiccup, whatever stupid things you do, nothing could make that dog truly mad at you. He's like this little ball of adorable smiles and friendliness."

Toothless jerked his head in what could have been a nod of agreement.

"Don't encourage him, Astrid."

Astrid smirked and shook her head. Her phone, to the left of her, _blooped_ , and she picked it up, read the message, and sighed. "Well, I'll let you rest, Hiccup," she said. "Snotlout just texted me. He wants to practice that stupid song again…"

"Which one?" asked Hiccup. "The one the twins wrote about wrapping paper, or the one Snotlout improvised about you?"

Astrid tossed her head. "Tuffnut recorded the entire song," said Astrid, "and Snotlout saved the lyrics. He wants to record it at the studio down the street and publish it as our first single. Embarrassing, actually."

"Well, I'll let you go," said Hiccup, grinning. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Hiccup," said Astrid, rolling her eyes. "I'll need it. Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't. Bye."

 _End Call._

He shut the lid of his computer and set it aside. He could always call Ruffnut and Tuffnut up later, after they rehearsed. He leaned back against the couch, Toothless put his head in Hiccup's lap, and Hiccup shut his eyes.

…

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 6:02 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Hiccup woke with a start, not fully aware of what had woke him for another few seconds. He sat forward, waking Toothless, who lifted his head and looked around in confusion.

Before Hiccup could fully comprehend he was even _awake_ , he found out just what it was that had woken him.

Pain. A sharp, bone-splitting pain shot through what was left of his leg, and he clenched his teeth tightly. The pain was sharp and blinding; for a moment, he couldn't see.

Which was odd, because so far, the only real pain he had experienced in his leg was a sore, ache kind of pain that came from walking on it too long or waiting an extra hour to take his medicine-

Oh.

The _medicine_ …

He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and opened the home screen; _6:02 PM,_ read the digital clock, and Hiccup swallowed hard. Six o'clock. The last time he took his painkillers couldn't have been later than eight thirty in the morning, which meant…

Eight to six…

Okay…

...somewhere around seven, eight hours, maybe nine…ten...?

He would have done more accurate math if the pain in his leg hadn't been dominating his thought process. He swallowed hard. Toothless nudged him constantly, almost frantically, trying to figure out what was wrong, and Hiccup didn't answer for a long while.

"Yeah, I'm okay, bud," Hiccup said, opening his _Messages_ on his phone and looking for his father's name. "Give me a second…"

It was really getting hard to think. _Really_ getting hard to think.

With shaking fingers, he tapped out a message to his father. It was quick and unrevealing; Hiccup would never tell his father (not yet, anyways) that he was in pain. It was just something he didn't do. He would rather hide it than confess it. He never actually knew why.

 _Hey, Dad. Just wondering where you were_ , he tapped, and sent the message without much of a second thought. For once in his life, he was thankful for auto correct, or else the message would have come out horribly misspelled.

He set his phone to the side.

As if on cue, another pain shot through his leg, as though it were being stabbed by a hot knife. He gulped down a scream and held his leg tighter; Toothless was panicking now, racing back and forth over the couch, climbing on top of Hiccup at least three times in his attempt to find out what was the matter.

"I'm okay, Toothless," said Hiccup. He was lying. Big time. More pain. "Toothless," he said, almost desperately, and he hugged the dog tight; the only comfort he had right now. For a moment, Toothless tensed in shock, because he didn't know what was going on, but then, he nuzzled Hiccup and licked the boy's face.

It didn't help.

Hiccup buried his face in the dog's thick fur. The first of soon to be many tears fell.

…

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 6:06 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Stoick was having a bad night.

It had been an emergency call, just after Stoick got Hiccup's refilled prescription of painkillers, and Stoick had been on the job. An armed robber (with a 6-shooter gun) was apprehended red-handed trying to break into the back of a house. It had taken hours, though, to get the family, still huddled inside the house after calling 911, to safety, and then to take care of the robber.

As it turned out, the gun wasn't loaded; an empty threat to stall for time. But in the end, the criminal ended up behind bars, and Stoick was just climbing back into his car when his phone went off.

Stoick got into the car, shut the door, and took a moment to check his phone. The text came up as _Hickory_ , and the text itself read, _Hey, Dad. Just wondering where you were._

Oh.

Shoot.

Stoick had nearly forgotten about it. He hadn't told Hiccup about the robber. At all. He _had_ told Hiccup that he would stop by the house, and then work late, but Hiccup hadn't seen any sign of him. It was probably a bit concerning.

Stoick quickly texted back, _Sorry. Armed robber. I'll be home soon. How are you?_ He sent the text and waited for a few moments in the police car, waiting for a reply from Hiccup before he started driving.

But no matter how long he waited, Hiccup didn't reply.

Stoick sent another text, this one more direct _("How are you, Hiccup?")_ and waited once more.

Nothing.

This was when Stoick thought of two things.

Number one: maybe he was sleeping, which was fine. Hiccup needed all the rest he could get.

But number two was a bit worse. Painkillers. Hiccup didn't have them.

Double shoot.

Stoick called Hiccup this time, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. _Ring...ring...ring...ring..._ and then, he got his son's answering machine. Stoick hung up and called again in an instant.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Answering machine.

Stoick texted Hiccup again, more urgently this time, because he was worried, and when that didn't work, he gave up on it. He sent one final message _("Hiccup, I'm coming home. Answer your phone."),_ started the car, and sped down the highway as fast as the speed limit would allow, though it was tempting to go over it.

...

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 6:19 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Hiccup's phone had been going off like mad, but Toothless never jumped off the couch to go see who it was, or even bring the phone to Hiccup. Right now, Hiccup was curled into himself on his side on the couch, hugging Toothless almost uncomfortably tight, and the loyal dog was laying down beside his buddy, licking the boy's face occasionally, trying to clear away his tears although more quickly replaced them.

The phone finally chilled out (or, more accurately, whoever kept calling and texting Hiccup did), but that wasn't a relief. Hiccup was sobbing openly now; sobbing to the point where Toothless found himself wondering how the boy found air to breathe.

Toothless whimpered helplessly, his long snout tucked beneath Hiccup's chin. Hiccup was shivering. It could have been from the pain, or it could have just been from the cold, but either way, Toothless felt helpless. It hurt him when Hiccup was hurt. The bond they shared was incredible.

But right now, Toothless couldn't do anything.

And he felt helpless.

…

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 28  
** **TIME: 7:12 PM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

The door was thrown open, and Toothless jerked his head upwards to see who the intruder was. As it turned out, he shouldn't have worried; the only person who raced into the room was Stoick, and frankly, Toothless had never been happier to see Hiccup's father than now.

Hiccup didn't even realize his father had arrived, too focused on the pain to notice anything else. Hiccup _did_ , however, notice Toothless jumping off the couch, out of his grip, and Hiccup almost cried harder.

"T-T-Toothless?" Hiccup called helplessly. "Please d-don't go-"

"Hiccup," Stoick said, taking Toothless' previous spot on the couch and grasping Hiccup's forearms; the only reason Toothless had moved at all was to give Hiccup's father some room. "Hiccup, it's all right…"

Hiccup still didn't fully recognize his father's presence. He squeezed his eyes against the pain of his leg, breathing quickly and shortly through his teeth. Eventually, he heard the low, gruff voice he recognized, and finally opened his eyes.

"Dad?" he croaked.

"Hiccup," said Stoick, and he pulled Hiccup's arms slightly. "Come on, son, sit up…"

After making sure his boy was in safe hands, Toothless raced to the kitchen to grab Hiccup's other bottle of meds. Meanwhile, Stoick popped open the bottle of painkillers, which he had brought inside with them, and dropped two into Hiccup's hand. Hiccup swallowed them down with water from his water bottle, and Stoick rubbed his back, not quite sure of what else to do.

When Toothless returned with the other bottle of pills between his teeth, Hiccup took two of those, too, but the pain was still there, and it would be until the painkillers set in.

"I'm s-sorry, Dad," Hiccup stuttered, trying to get his tears under control, which was kind of impossible at this point. Hiccup dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears, but to no avail.

Stoick quickly wrapped his arms around Hiccup and pulled him into an embrace. Hiccup didn't return it right away, and instead relished the fact he was being held by his _father_ , who wasn't the shoulder-to-cry-on kind of guy.

It was a really special moment, and if he had to go through pain to experience it, so be it. It was worth it. So what if it was embarrassing, crying in front of his father like that. At the time, Hiccup couldn't have cared less.

But he wasn't able to dwell on it for _that_ long, because his leg _was_ still throbbing and excruciatingly painful, and breathing through the pain was hard.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup," Stoick whispered into Hiccup's sweat-matted hair. "I'm so sorry."

Hiccup swallowed. If breathing hadn't been so hard, he probably would have responded.

"Breathe, Hiccup," Stoick said gently, tightening his arms around his son. "Just breathe…"

Hiccup took these words to heart and tried calming down. For a long while, it didn't work, but then, finally, the painkillers set in, the pain in his leg dulled, and Hiccup breathed deeply and evenly.

And by the time he finally did that, he was _exhausted_ …

His head fell against his father's shoulder, and his eyes shut, almost on their own; his lids felt like lead. Stoick smoothed Hiccup's hair out of his face, and finally, Hiccup fell asleep.

Sitting beside the coffee table was Toothless, who had been watching the entire scene. The dog would now be able to sleep soundly, knowing that yes, Hiccup was well-taken care of, and his father loved him.

What more could he ask for?


	13. Just Another Day on the Job

**You guys are amazing! Thanks for all the support! :D And I know you guys have been asking for some more romance between Hiccup and Astrid, but romance isn't my strongest suit, unfortunately. I kinda like the more cute-banter-best-friend-more-than-friend type of relationship rather than a solid romance.**

 **So, you'll probably get more cute sort of Hiccstrid moments more than actual romance. :D So, I hope you like this chapter! :D Enjoy! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 13: JUST ANOTHER DAY ON THE JOB**_

 **DAY: OCTOBER 12  
** **TIME: 3:31 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

"Stop dragging, Hiccup!"

"I'm not dragging!"

Snotlout had given the members of Dragon's Edge an exceptionally hard challenge; he took an already fast song, and sped it up double time, and then had each of the band members try and keep up with it on their instruments. So far, the only person who managed to do it was Snotlout, but Snotlout only did it through singing, and as he was already an exceptionally good rapper, this came easy.

But for some of the other instruments, like guitar, keyboard, and drums, this was a bit more of a challenge. So far, Hiccup was the closest to accuracy as far as he, Fishlegs, and Astrid went, but even then, he found himself dragging. His wrists were sore, as were his foot, ankle, and prosthetic from constant pressing of high-hat and kick drum pedals.

When the song finally stopped, Hiccup threw his drumsticks into the air and put his head in his hands. His ears were ringing a bit. "I'm done," he said. "Go torture someone else for a change, Snotlout."

"Aw, come on, guys, this is important!" said Snotlout. "If we're going to be at the top of our game, we're going to have to be our very best!"

"Um, isn't that redundant?" said Tuffnut.

"Who cares?" snapped Snotlout. "Astrid, you're up!"

"No way I'm doing that again," said Astrid. "My fingers still hurt from that crazy guitar solo. I am _no way_ picking up my guitar for at least another three hours."

"Okay, fine!" said Snotlout. "Fishlegs! What about you?"

"Me no speak English," squeaked Fishlegs, and he hurried off, out of sight.

"Ugh, fine!" said Snotlout. "I guess while you guys laze about, I'll actually get my work done!"

"We _have_ gotten our work done, Snotlout," said Astrid, crossing her arms angrily. "We're just tired of playing a song at double time. Why don't we practice songs at normal tempo, that way we can actually _perform_ them if we want to?"

On a nearby shelf, three Battle of the Bands trophies, symbolizing three consecutive years of victory, resided. The first one said, _2015 - 1ST PLACE WINNER, DRAGON'S EDGE - "Where No One Goes."_ The second one said, _2016 - 1ST PLACE WINNER, DRAGON'S EDGE - "Sticks and Stones."_ And the third one read, _2017 - 1ST PLACE WINNER, DRAGON'S EDGE - "Into a Fantasy."_

Three consecutive years of victory.

And Snotlout _still_ didn't think his band was good enough.

Hiccup's phone suddenly rang, and Hiccup pulled it from his pocket, checking to see who it was. "Huh," he said, "unknown number. Probably some telemarketer, or something…" He stuffed his phone back into his pocket.

"Oh, sure," said Snotlout, "you have time to check your phone, but you don't have time to get serious and _practice_."

"Snotlout, chill out," said Tuffnut. "Honestly. None of us want to practice anymore. We're tired."

"We've only been practicing for an hour!" said Snotlout.

"Um, actually, Snotlout," said Fishlegs matter-of-factly, "we got here and started practicing around nine in the morning, and what time is it now, Hiccup?"

Hiccup checked his watch. "Almost three forty," he said.

"I rest my case," said Fishlegs.

Hiccup's phone went off again, and Hiccup yanked it from his pocket. "Same number," he said. "That's strange…" He declined the call, and then looked at Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "Are you guys hiding some prank phone from me?"

"What? No!" said Ruffnut, sounding offended. "Why would you even _think_ something like that? I am very disappointed in you, Hiccup!"

"But thanks for the idea, H.!" said Tuffnut, grinning. "Prank phone...I like that!"

"Well, someone's trying to get ahold of me," said Hiccup, glancing down at his phone; suddenly, the same number came up again. Another call, for the third time in the past minute. "Okay, that's kind of weird."

"Can you silence that thing, Hiccup!?" snapped Snotlout. "We're trying to rehearse here!"

"Right," said Hiccup, but he didn't silence his phone. "Hang on, I'm gonna take this call…"

Snotlout threw his hands above his head. "No respect at all!"

Hiccup answered the phone, got up from behind his drumset, and, holding the phone up to his ear, said, "Hello?"

"His priorities are _all_ messed up," said Snotlout angrily as Hiccup stepped into the center of the room, still talking on the phone. "We're supposed to be a team, Hickory! And we can't do that if you're talking to some stranger!"

"Yes, this is him speaking," said Hiccup into the phone, ignoring Snotlout. "What's…" He paused suddenly, stopping. All eyes turned to him. His eyes went wide. He swallowed hard. The phone slipped out of his grip, hitting the floor with a _thud_.

"Hiccup?" said Astrid, making her way over. "What is it? What's up? Who was it?"

Hiccup swallowed thickly, eyes still wide in what looked like horror. "It was the hospital. My...my dad," he stuttered, sounding so unsure of himself it was alarming. "He...he was...he was shot…"

The others gasped collectively; even Snotlout. "Your dad," he said, "the Chief of the Police department?"

Hiccup didn't answer. He picked his phone up off the ground, turned, and raced outside, Toothless barking and racing after him. Snotlout grabbed the keys to their van off an amplifier, and he, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins took off after Hiccup.

"Hiccup, wait!" Astrid shouted, catching Hiccup's arm just before he ran into the street; a bright blue car sped down the road. If Astrid hadn't stopped Hiccup, he would have run right in front of it. "We'll take the van! It'll be faster!"

Snotlout and the others had already climbed in their black, twelve-seater van, and Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless jumped in after them. Once the doors were closed, Snotlout sped down the highway.

Hiccup dug his hands into his scalp, breathing through his teeth. "No, please, no," he whispered, pulling his hair.

Toothless licked Hiccup's arm, but Hiccup wasn't comforted.

It took them little to no time to actually get to Berk County Hospital, and as soon as they did, before the car even stopped, Ruffnut and Tuffnut had already opened the doors and were jumping out. With them followed Hiccup, Fishlegs, Astrid, Toothless, and Snotlout once he had pulled the keys out of the ignition.

Astrid had never seen Hiccup run so fast in her life, and she and the others tore after him, through the automatic sliding doors and into the white light of the hospital.

Hiccup instantly made a break for the front desk; the lady sitting behind a computer jumped. "My name is Hickory. I-I'm here about Stoick Haddock," said Hiccup, in the most authoritative voice anyone had ever heard him use. "He's my father."

The woman nodded, sensing his urgency, and typed on her computer. She winced at what came up on the screen, and then looked at Hiccup sadly. "Your father is in emergency surgery, dear," she said softly.

Hiccup swallowed hard. "No..."

"How long does the surgery last?" asked Astrid, stepping up beside Hiccup.

The woman behind the desk shook her head. "It doesn't say specifically," she said, "but it will be anywhere between six to ten hours."

"No…" Hiccup whispered, digging his hands into his hair again, breathing so fast it was near hyperventilation. "This can't be happening, it can't be, it can't..."

"I'm sorry," said the woman softly. "You are welcome to wait in hospitality. I will let you know if I hear anything else."

"Thank you," Astrid said, and she was thankful, because the last time they came to the hospital the woman at the desk had been unhelpful, rude, and snooty. "Thank you for your help."

The woman nodded, and Astrid took Hiccup by the hand and led him down the hallway, towards the hospitality, with Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Toothless following them closely.

…

 **DAY: OCTOBER 12  
** **TIME: 6:52 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

Hiccup was fidgety, and that was the underestimate of the year. He looked up every time a nurse came in and called a name, shoulders slumping when his father's name wasn't among them. Astrid sat beside him, arm around his shoulders, and Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut occupied other chairs nearby. Toothless sat on the floor, whimpering sadly.

"Hiccup, I'm sure it'll be all right," said Fishlegs. "I mean-"

"Fishlegs, please," Hiccup said, voice wavering, folding his hands and putting them against his nose. "Please, just...don't say anything. Please."

Fishlegs shut his mouth with an audible _click_ of his teeth. Across the hospitality room, a woman sat looking at her phone, and a little girl sat beside the woman, clutching a lamb stuffed animal and looking at Toothless on the floor. The little girl whispered something to her mother, and her mother nodded, and the girl got to her feet, slowly padding over.

"Hi," she said shyly. "Your puppy is really cute. C-Can I pet him?"

"Go ahead," said Hiccup, and the girl reached her hand out to Toothless, and the fluffy border collie instantly pressed his head into the girl's palm. The girl smiled and pet the dog's head.

"What's his name?" the girl asked.

"Toothless," said Hiccup.

"Toothless?" said the girl. "That's a cute name."

"Yeah, well, when I got him from the shelter, he only had half his teeth," said Hiccup, "so, I don't know, the name kind of fit...what's your name?"

"Amy," said the girl.

"I'm Hickory," said Hiccup. "It's nice to meet you."

"And I'm Astrid," said Astrid.

"It's nice to meet you too," said the girl, Amy. "I'm getting blood tests today. I don't like them. But my mom gets me lollipops after them, so I like that."

Hiccup smiled, unsure of how to reply.

A nurse walked into the room, clipboard pressed against his chest. "For Amelia?" he said, and Amy's mother stood up, shouldering her purse.

"Come along, Amelia," said the woman.

"Yes, Mommy," said Amy, and she raced off, following her mother and the nurse. Toothless whined when she left, and laid back on the ground again, head on his paws. Hiccup bounced his leg, drumming his fingers against his knee, worry for his father once again gnawing at his heart.

…

 **DAY: OCTOBER 13  
** **TIME: 2:06 AM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

The hospitality room was empty except for Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Toothless. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Tuffnut and Ruffnut had dozed off, leaning against each other, and Snotlout and Fishlegs looked close to sleep, too.

Hiccup and Astrid came pretty close to dozing off, too, and they would have if at that moment the woman from the front desk walked into hospitality. "Hickory Haddock?" she said, and Hiccup instantly jumped to his feet, as did Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs beside him. The twins woke up an instant later, and they, too, stood.

"Your father was just moved to his room," said the woman. "I can show you to see him if you like."

Hiccup swallowed hard and nodded, following the woman down the hallway, around a corner, and out of sight.

Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins, and Toothless stayed behind, knowing that as they weren't family, they wouldn't be allowed in Stoick's room. And besides, it wouldn't have felt right. They would have felt like intruders, following Hiccup to see his father. This was between a son and his dad.

They looked at each other, coming to the same conclusion.

They would wait for Hiccup.

"Oh, man," said Tuffnut, once again taking his seat. "I feel so sorry for both of them."

"Why can't life just leave Hiccup alone for a change?" said Snotlout, dropping himself into his seat and crossing his arms. "First, his mother goes missing when he's a baby, he loses his leg - _his_ _flipping leg_ \- and now, his dad…"

"No matter what happens," said Fishlegs, "we'll always be there for Hiccup, won't we?"

"Of course we will," said Ruffnut, punching Fishlegs on the shoulder. "Of _course_ we will," she repeated, more firmly the second time.

The others nodded in silent agreement.


	14. Moral Support

_**CHAPTER 14: MORAL SUPPORT**_

 **DAY: OCTOBER 20  
** **TIME: 2:17 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

Hiccup was lying on gray cement beneath a car, a wrench in one hand, his other hand fiddling with wires and screws. He was at the mechanic shop, where he had been working for years, and his hair was matted with oil and grease and other things Hiccup would rather not think about.

He'd lost count of just how many coffees he'd bought and guzzled down to keep himself awake, but it was definitely over seven. And even now, he only felt half-awake, his brain somewhat fuzzy.

When he finally fixed the problem beneath the car, he screwed the covering back over the wires and slid out from under it, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He set down the wrench and screwdriver, sighing.

"Hickory?" Hiccup's boss, Gobber, called him, and the man hobbled into the room. Gobber was in his fifties, with a prosthetic arm and leg, which he had lost while he served in the military. Gobber had a blond, handle-bar mustache, and over his bald head was a ballcap, stained with oil.

"Yeah?" Hiccup said, getting to his feet and making his way over. Gobber handed Hiccup an envelope wordlessly, and Hiccup opened it, reading it.

His eyes widened. It was his paycheck, but definitely not his usual paycheck. "Gobber-" he said.

"Lad, you've been working overtime every day for a week now," said Gobber. "Consider it a bonus."

"Gobber, I can't accept this-" Hiccup said, trying to hand it back.

"No, I insist," said Gobber, laying a hand heavily on Hiccup's shoulder. "You've always been my best employee, Hickory. You deserve it."

"Gobber, I-" Hiccup didn't actually know what to say. Gobber had always been like family to him, ever since he got his job in the first place. Hiccup didn't know how to reply to this. "Thank you, Gobber."

Gobber nodded. "Don't mention it, lad," he said. "Now, go home. Take care of yourself. You know, resting is a lot more effective than caffeine."

"I know," Hiccup said. "Are you-"

"I'm sure," said Gobber, before Hiccup could finish his question. He spun Hiccup around and gave him a small, prompting shove towards the door. "Now go home."

Hiccup nodded, didn't argue, and headed off.

…

 **DAY: OCTOBER 20  
** **TIME: 3:02 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

Hiccup slipped his house key into the lock and turned it; the front door of his two-story A-Frame log cabin opened, and he stepped inside. Instantly, he was nearly tackled by a fluffy border collie and German shepherd.

"Hi, Toothless," Hiccup said to the border collie, rubbing his head. The German shepherd, Skullcrusher, let Hiccup scratch his ears before scampering to the kitchen. Hiccup dropped his satchel onto the couch of their living room and followed Skullcrusher, Toothless hot on his heels.

He poured a good few handfuls of dog food into each dog's bowl (they were running low on dog food - he made a mental note to pick some up next time he went out) and, while the dogs were eating, went upstairs to his room to shower.

He used up an entire half bottle of shampoo and dishwashing liquid (which he had found worked surprisingly well) trying to get all the oil and grease out of his hair. He usually wore some kind of bandana over his head to keep out the motor oil, but he had entirely forgotten about it today, and he regretted it.

When he finally got out of the shower, dressed, and his hair somewhat cleaner than before, he headed downstairs. As if on cue, his phone, which he had left on a nearby side table, _blooped_ , and he picked it up.

 _New Messages (5)._

He tapped his messenger, and it opened to his group chat. He read the five messages to himself, leaning against the wall.

 _Fishlegs Ingerman: Hi, Hiccup! We miss you! Hope you're doing okay. Let us know if you need anything._

 _Tuffnut Thorston: Hey, dude! Long time no talk! We missed you at band practice. You should have seen the prank Ruff and I pulled on ol' Snotface. It was brilliant. Talk to you later, man!_

 _Ruffnut Thorston: How are you? Okay? Maybe? I hope you're alright. We've all been missing you, even Snotlout, though I doubt he'd admit it to anyone. Message us back when you can! No worries if you can't! ;) Bye!_

 _Snotlout Jorgenson: Hey man! What's up? We'll be in town today, so if you need us to pick up anything from the store or whatever, we can. Let us know, ok? Talk to you soon._

 _Astrid Hofferson: Hey, Hiccup. How are you doing? We've all been thinking about you, wanted to check in, make sure you're okay. Haven't heard from you recently, which I understand, but we're kinda worried. I'll always be here if you want to talk. Love you. 3_

Hiccup sighed. He wasn't in the mood to reply to each of their messages individually - he felt a bit too tired for that, the coffee finally wearing off - but he did want to let them know how much he appreciated it. So, he sent them one group message before heading up to bed.

 _Hey guys. Sorry I haven't been responding. I've kind of been spinning my wheels lately, trying to figure out what to do. I probably won't reply to your responses, but I wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your support. So thanks. All of you. I'll talk to you later_.

He sent the message, set his phone down, and headed upstairs to his room. Toothless bounded up the stairs after him, and Hiccup fell asleep the instant he got into bed and closed his eyes.

…

 **DAY: OCTOBER 20  
** **TIME: 8:45 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

 _THUMP!_

Hiccup's eyes flew open, and he sat up, looking around the dark room blindly for the source of the sound. Toothless was sleeping, curled up at the foot of the bed, and Skullcrusher snoozed at the top of the stairs.

Hiccup paused another moment, and when he didn't hear anything else, laid back in bed and shut his eyes. He must have imagined it-

 _THUMP!_

-Or, maybe he didn't after all.

He sat up again, looking around apprehensively. This time, Toothless and Skullcrusher both roused, glancing at their surroundings. That settled it: Hiccup definitely did not imagine the thumps.

He tossed his leg over the bed, strapped on his prosthetic, and got to his feet, slowly making his way towards the stairs. Toothless leapt off the bed to follow him, and Skullcrusher had already run down the stairs to investigate. On his way, Hiccup grabbed a large golf club from his closet, just in case, and headed downstairs warily.

There was another _THUMP!,_ and Hiccup nearly jumped out of his skin, but he forced himself to keep quiet. His phone was on the other side of the living room; actually, he couldn't remember _where_ he had put his phone after texting back his friends, so there was no way he'd be able to call the police if by some chance a burglar was trying to break into his house.

He swallowed hard. He turned towards their back door and just barely stifled a shout; the silhouette of a person was against the curtains of the back door.

Hiccup pressed himself against the wall, golf club clutched in his hands. Whoever was outside was clearly trying to get inside. They tapped on the window, and Hiccup swallowed hard. He looked at Toothless and Skullcrusher, baring their teeth dangerously at the door, never making a sound.

Hiccup gulped.

It was now or never.

Before he could rethink his decision, he quickly unlocked the back door, swung it open, and raised the golf club.

"WAIT, HICCUP, NO-"

 _WHACK!_

Oops.

Snotlout reeled back, clutching his head. "WHAT'D YOU GO AND DO _THAT_ FOR!?" Snotlout said harshly, rubbing at the quickly forming lump on his forehead. Hiccup gaped at him, unsure of what to say.

"For the love of... _Snotlout!"_ Hiccup finally said, throwing the golf club to the ground. Behind him, Toothless and Skullcrusher dropped their guard, and their defense was replaced by confusion. "I could've killed you!"

"Thanks," said Snotlout, "for _not_ killing me."

Hiccup still didn't understand it. "What are you doing here!?" he blurted.

"We thought we'd come see how you were doing," said Snotlout, "you know, for moral support."

Hiccup only acknowledged one part of Snotlout's sentence. " _We!?"_ he stammered.

Snotlout gestured over his shoulder. "He's home, guys!" he called, and from the shadows stepped Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut, each with backpacks slung over their shoulders.

"What did we miss?" said Tuffnut. "Whoa! Snotlout! Nice bruise!"

"It hurts a _lot_ more than it looks," said Snotlout, rubbing the place Hiccup's golf club had met his skull.

"What are you all doing here?" Hiccup said, gesturing to them helplessly, not exactly knowing what to do or say.

"We came," said Astrid, stepping forward, "to see how you were doing." She studied him for a moment, frowning. "And if you feel as bad as you look," she said, "we did the right thing."

"Um, thanks, guys," said Hiccup, "but it's really not necessary...I'm doing all right, really…"

"Hiccup, my uncle Finn was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago," said Astrid. "He survived it, but I'll never forget the horrible thing of him being in the hospital. It's tough when part of your family isn't with you...and that's why we're here."

"Really," said Hiccup, "I'm fine." He lied. He wasn't fine. And truth be told, he was more than happy to see his friends. But in all frankness, he didn't like them worrying about him.

"Hiccup," said Astrid, "we're here because we didn't want you to be alone, alright? And now that we're here, you can't get rid of us, even if you wanted to."

"Yeah, seriously," said Ruffnut. "We didn't hike twenty miles to your house just to go twenty miles back."

"You could have taken the van," said Hiccup flatly.

"That's not the point," said Tuffnut. "Point is, we ain't leaving you to fend for yourself. You're one of us."

Hiccup sighed. He couldn't deny, he was feeling a bit lonely, even though he had Toothless and Skullcrusher to keep him company. "All right…" he said, and then, "thank you."

"No problem-o, dude," said Snotlout.

Hiccup stepped out of the doorway to let them inside.

Admittedly, though he was still concerned about his father, as he hadn't heard any new developments, having his friends close helped him cope. They played a few rounds of Mario Kart, taking turns with the Wii controllers - the twins kept purposefully flying off Rainbow Road, and Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout played to win. Fishlegs watched, cheering them on, though he didn't play himself.

For the first time in a week, since his father was admitted to the hospital, Hiccup felt genuinely peaceful.

Even if the peace was often disrupted by the twins driving their Mario Karts off-road intentionally.


	15. Amusement Park

**Hello! :D Sorry it took so long! Like I said, updates are pretty sporadic, but it'll be a while before this story reaches complete...it'll probably end up being 100 so chapters if I can make it up there...I don't know. XD**

 **So, today's my birthday, so I wanted to post something fun. :) Especially with all that previous drama the last few chapters. XD Enjoy chapter 15! :D And remember, if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to tell me! I NEED YOUR SUGGESTIONS! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH! XD**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 15: AMUSEMENT PARK**_

 **DAY: JULY 7  
** **TIME: 8:23 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Snotlout pulled up in front of Dragon's Edge Headquarters and stopped the van, pulling the keys from the ignition. He got out of the car and headed up the porch steps, into HQ, where Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins were waiting.

"Weeeeeell," said Snotlout, swinging the keys on one finger, "it took forever, but I finally picked up the new trailer! Come on, it looks great!" He headed back outside, and this time, Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins followed him.

"Ta-da!" said Snotlout, spreading his hands dramatically. The trailer, hooked up to their van, was in pefect condition, painted black so it matched their twelve-seater perfectly. "And we can add graphics to the side of the trailer if we want," said Snotlout, running a hand over the trailer. "The twins could totally spray paint our logo onto it."

"This trailer is perfect, Snotlout!" squealed Fishlegs excitedly. "Where did you get it?"

"I got it from an add on ebay," said Snotlout breezily. "Originally, the add said it was four hundred bucks, but I got him to narrow it down to two hundred." He paused suddenly, and he opened the door of the van, pulled out an envelope, and held it forward, "And on top of that," he said, "I have a surprise for you. So, we split the rest of the prize money, right? Four hundred for the trailer, and then another hundred for each of us, right?"

"Right," said the others in unison.

"Sooo," said Snotlout, "with the extra two hundred from the trailer, I decided to buy _these_."

He pulled six strips of _something_ from the envelope and handed one to each of his friends. They took them, reading them over, and then, in unison, they looked up at Snotlout.

"I know, right?" said Snotlout, grinning. "Isn't it awesome!?"

"Tickets to Dragon Academy!" cheered Tuffnut, pumping his fist into the air. "No _way_ , Snotlout! How did you get these!?"

"They were on sale," said Snotlout. "Only cost me two hundred dollars to get these six tickets."

"Snotlout, this is so exciting!" said Fishlegs excitedly, nearly bouncing up and down. "Dragon Academy is the biggest amusement park within a thousand miles! I can't believe you got the tickets that cheap!"

"That's awesome, Snotlout!" said Astrid, and she punched him harshly on the shoulder. "I haven't been there since I was a kid!"

"I know!" said Snotlout. "Me neither! Normally it's _crazy_ expensive, but this sale, man, what a coincidence!"

"This is so cool, Snotlout," said Hiccup, grinning. "When did you plan on going?"

"I was thinking," said Snotlout, "we could go right now. But only if you guys want to!"

"YES!" they said in unison.

"Double yes!" emphasized Tuffnut.

"Alright then!" said Snotlout. "I'll unhook the trailer. Bring a waterbottle and some cash for lunch, alright? We'll meet back out here when we're done and leave while the day is young!"

He said it with such dramatics it was hilarious, and the others wasted no time in racing back inside to grab what Snotlout had instructed while Snotlout worked on unhooking the trailer.

…

 **DAY: JULY 7  
** **TIME: 10:12 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

Snotlout pulled into the parking lodge of Dragon Academy, looking for a good parking spot for their monster of a van. He finally found one nearby, and pulled into the spot. The lodge was surprisingly empty.

"It isn't crowded at all," said Fishlegs, as they climbed out of the van, into the parking lot, shouldering their satchels. They had left Toothless at Dragon's Edge with a bowl of food and three dog treats.

"I know," said Snotlout, locking the car. "Normally, this place is crawling with visitors. Looks like we got here just in time."

They headed out of the parking lot and towards the entrance of Dragon Academy. After handing over their tickets to a man at the ticket booth, they headed inside.

"This is _awesome!"_ said Tuffnut, looking around excitedly. "Oh my _gosh,_ I am so excited!"

"Alright," said Snotlout, clapping his hands together. "Where do you guys want to go first?"

"Ooooh, _oooohhh!"_ said Ruffnut, waving her hand above her head. "I know, _I know!_ That one!" She pointed to a gigantic roller coaster, towering in the distance. _"That_ one!"

Fishlegs swallowed. "I'm not so sure," he said. "I mean, it looks pretty high-"

"I like it!" said Snotlout. "Let's do it! Come on, guys! No wasting time!"

They followed Snotlout, with Fishlegs dragging his feet, somewhat reluctant. There was hardly any line; the Dragon's Edge team raced through the line until finally, they stopped behind a small clump of people in front.

"What's this ride called again?" Tuffnut asked, and he glanced at a nearby sign that hung overhead. "'The Whiplash,'" said Tuffnut. "Hey, I like that name!"

Fishlegs gulped. "I don't like that name," he said.

They watched as the people in front of them were let through, and they snapped into the box-car like roller coaster carts. A loudspeaker overhead shouted _THREE, TWO, ONE,_ and the train shot from the station and up the roller coaster track.

"Whoa," said Tuffnut. "That was awesome. Us next, us next!" He waved his hands over his head excitedly. Fishlegs swallowed nervously. He clearly didn't think this was a good idea.

Another train rolled into place, and the passengers got off, heading out the exit.

"Okay, we're up," said Snotlout, and when one of the employees opened the gate, they got into the cart, pulling the bars down over their legs, and neck harnesses over their shoulders. Hiccup and Astrid took the front car, while the twins took the one behind it, and Snotlout and Fishlegs took the one behind that.

"Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh," Fishlegs whispered over and over.

The loudspeakers blared. _THREE, TWO, ONE-_

And the roller coaster blasted off.

It was insane. Honestly. Nothing should have been able to go that fast. Ruffnut and Tuffnut laughed hysterically, throwing their hands over their head. Fishlegs screamed, high-pitched, loud and long, for half of the ride.

" _THIS IS AWESOME AND SCARY!"_ shouted Tuffnut, the wind rushing at their face. The track circled around, did a loop-the-loop (Fishlegs screamed all the more when it did that), and twisted downwards, the track like a whirlpool, and finally, with a sharp turn, the train rolled back into the station, coming to a complete start. The bars raised on their own, and one by one, they got off the ride.

"Oh, my gosh," said Ruffnut, wobbling slightly. "We are _so_ going again."

"I second that, sister," said Tuffnut, putting up a finger.

"We lived," said Fishlegs, and he sighed in relief.

"Man," said Hiccup, "I forgot how much fun roller coasters are. That was...that was…"

" _Brilliant!"_ chimed in Astrid, beaming. "Okay, Snotlout, what's our next stop?"

"I was going to leave that up to you guys," said Snotlout. "Where do you want to go next?"

"Somewhere we _won't_ die," said Fishlegs.

"Oooh!" said Tuffnut. "There's a new ride around here called The Exterminator! We should try that one!"

"I said somewhere we _won't_ die," said Fishlegs.

"The Exterminator," said Hiccup, shrugging. "Sounds interesting. New ride, you say?"

"Yeah!" said Snotlout. "They're right! I saw a poster for it when we came in. Apparently, with a running time of four minutes, it's one of the longest roller coasters in the world."

" _Aaaaannnd,"_ added Ruffnut, "it has a three hundred foot drop. Imagine how fast something with a beginning drop like _that_ would go for the rest of the ride."

"I searched the web on it before we left the Headquarters," said Tuffnut, "and it goes nearly a hundred miles an hour after that drop, making it also one of the _fastest_ roller coasters in the world."

"A long track, a high drop, _and_ a fast pace?" said Snotlout. "I'm all in for it!"

"It's all the way on the other side of the park," said Ruffnut, sadly, "but that's because it takes up over five acres of land. If we run, we could get there faster!"

Needless to say, all but Fishlegs, who padded a bit slower, ran. Even Fishlegs, though, seemed to be a bit excited (though mostly terrified) of what The Exterminator had in store.

…

 **DAY: JULY 7  
** **TIME: 10:54 AM  
** **YEAR: 2015**

The tall, looping tracks of The Exterminator towered in the sky above them, and the line for this ride was definitely much longer than the line to Whiplash.

When it was finally their turn, Hiccup and Astrid, once again, took the front, but Snotlout and Tuffnut took the middle this time, while Fishlegs and Ruffnut took the back. Neck harnesses were pulled over their heads, and they were buckled in their seats with belts.

The brakes were let up, and the car slowly pulled forward, embarking slowly up the tall, three-hundred foot hill.

"Oh no," Fishlegs whispered, "this is the end, I'm gonna die. This is it."

"We're gonna die," sang Tuffnut merrily, swaying back and forth in his seat. "We're gonna die, die, die, diediediediedie…"

The track below them arched, and the train shot off at dangerous speed. If the Whiplash was fast, it was nothing on _this._ Astrid, laughing in thrill, threw her hands into the air above her head, as did Hiccup beside her. The twins, so thrilled with the danger of the ride, cackled almost madly, waving their hands around.

"Don't forget to pose for the camera at the end, guys!" Snotlout's voice shouted over the wind, barely audible, but the others heard him well enough.

The ride was full of crazy twists and unbelievable turns. There was a ninety degree plummet, followed by two loop-the-loops in a row, and another upwards swerve and downwards curve that had even the twins clutching the bars, worried momentarily that they would part company with their seats.

When the ride finally, after four entire minutes, Fishlegs stumbled out of the train, and soon after him followed Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Hiccup, and Astrid. They headed down the exit stairs, grinning like mad.

"My legs feel like jell-o," said Ruffnut. "That...was incredible."

"Come on, let's go see the picture," said Snotlout, and they raced to the photo booth. They watched the different photos flash across the multiple screens, until finally-

"There we are!" said Snotlout, pointing to the screen on the far left, and instantly, they burst out laughing. "Oh, Guppylegs!"

In the picture, Fishlegs was covering his eyes. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were flashing thumbs-up at the camera, and Astrid, Hiccup, and Snotlout had their hands in the air..

"Ha!" said Hiccup. "Snotlout, you look so bored."

"How can you be bored on that...that _thing?"_ said Fishlegs, and he sounded so confused it was hilarious, and the others shared a good laugh for a few moments.

"So," said Snotlout, "who wants to pick the next ride? Fishlegs?"

And that was why the riders spent five minutes on a merry-go-round.

* * *

 **I had fun with this chapter. :) REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVE ANY CHAPTER SUGGESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO ASK THEM! I TAKE ALL SUGGESTIONS INTO CONSIDERATION! :D**


	16. Shelter

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry this took me so long to get out! I've been thinking about the direction I want this story to go in lately, and I think I've finally got an idea, so I should be updating at least a _little_ more frequently...there are a few subjects I'd like to cover in this fic, and here they are: **

**HICCSTRID'S DEVELOPMENT.**

 **VALKA (just...everything that has to do with her in general. It's going to be quite different than what happened in the second film's plot, so don't worry to those who don't like Valka because of her choices).**

 **DRAGO BLUDVIST and HIS FOLLOWERS.**

 **MORE DAGUR, OF COURSE.**

 **HEATHER AS DAGUR'S SISTER.**

 **VIGGO AND RYKER.**

 **STOICK'S RECOVERY AFTER BEING SHOT.**

 **WHO SHOT STOICK IN THE FIRST PLACE.**

 **THIS AND MORE WILL BE REVEALED THROUGHOUT THIS STORY! :D I have a few filler chapters to be coming soon, too, while I try and finish plotting out the rest of this story, so don't worry. I will keep updating whenever I can, I promise you that! :D Thank you all! :D**

 **ONE LAST QUESTION FOR EVERYONE:**

 **Should I post a list of the chapters in chronological order on my profile? That way you guys can go back and read the chapters in the order they're supposed to come in time, that way you don't get confused at some of the dates? Let me know! :D Enjoy chapter 16! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS LAST CHAPTER! :D I LOVE YOU ALL! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 16: SHELTER**_

 **DAY: FEBRUARY 29  
** **TIME: 6:56 PM  
** **YEAR: 2012**

Hiccup knocked three times on the door. From out here, he could hear dozens of dogs barking, all in different pitch and all from different breeds. He swallowed hard. He wasn't so sure about this, frankly...but his father had wanted him to get a dog, and honestly, he was excited about it...but he'd never been to an animal shelter before. What was he supposed to do?

"It's unlocked," shouted someone from inside, and Hiccup pushed the door open. The room he'd walked into was bright, and a boy stood behind the counter. He must have been a volunteer, because he didn't look much older than Hiccup; definitely not old enough to have a job yet.

"Um, hi," said Hiccup, heading for the counter. "Um, I'm interested in adopting."

"I assumed," said the boy, smiling, and he pointed down a hallway, stepped out from behind the desk, and made for another door just a little ways down the hall. "Follow me, please?"

Hiccup nodded wordlessly and followed him. White fluorescent bulbs hanging overhead supplied the entire room with light. Occasionally, one of the bulbs would flicker ominously, but never go out.

The volunteer pushed open the door and led Hiccup inside. On either wall were kennels. Large kennels, giving the occupants plenty of room to live. Two German shepherds shared a kennel, and they dozed off in the corner, eyes lifting only when they saw Hiccup.

"We call those two Lazy and Daisy," said the boy, walking only two feet before Hiccup. "They've been here a while, but we have families interested in them, so…if you were interested in a German shepherd..."

Hiccup shook his head. "I'm really not sure what I'm interested in," said Hiccup. "I've never had a dog before…"

"Oh, alright," said the volunteer, "well, these are our larger breeds of dogs, so if you're looking for a smaller one, like a yorkie or something, we have those in another hall."

"Um...I'll just look around here first," said Hiccup. Honestly, he didn't know what he was going for. He had always wanted a dog, ever since he was little, but he never thought he would actually _get_ one.

His father was working a late shift at the Police Department, but he'd told Hiccup to go to the shelter anyway, even if all he did was look around. If Hiccup found a dog he was interested in, they could work on the actual adoption later. It was a gift for Hiccup's birthday; Hiccup had been looking forward to this all week, ever since his father said they could adopt.

"Well," said the volunteer, "we have some mixes down here. Labradoodles. But they're older and hostile. Could you believe that? Labs are normally friendly…"

Hiccup smiled, just to be nice, because frankly, he didn't know anything about different dog breeds.

They passed one kennel, and Hiccup thought it was empty.

But then, he stopped and did a double-take.

A small, black-and-white fluffy puppy blinked back at him.

The dog was the size of a Yorkshire Terrier, but so fluffy it was almost commical. One ear stood up straight; the other flopped over, splotched with white fur. The dog's eyes were, oddly enough, green. Hiccup had seen dogs with brown eyes and blue eyes, but never _green_ eyes.

The puppy tilted its head at him.

Hiccup stared at it. He knelt in front of the kennel and put his fingers towards the bars. The puppy sniffed him and tilted his head again.

"And over here we have our…" The volunteer had continued walking on, not noticing Hiccup had stopped, and when he did, he turned around, looked at Hiccup, and then at the puppy.

"Oh," said the volunteer. "That one. He was brought in yesterday, found by some girls in an abandoned alley. The rest of his litter was dead."

"What kind of dog is he?" Hiccup asked; the puppy was now licking his fingers.

"Border collie, I'd say," said the volunteer, "but it's impossible to know with street animals. He could be some kind of mix, too. Only a few months old."

Hiccup watched the puppy for a few more moments. "And no one else wanted to adopt him?" he asked.

"Not yet," said the boy. "Like I said, he just came in last night. No one else has seen him. You're the first. But that probably won't last too long, mind you. Dogs like this always get taken first."

Which meant that if Hiccup wanted this dog, it was now or never.

"I'll take him," Hiccup said plainly. "He's the one."

He made a mental note to thank his father _big time_ when all this was done.

The volunteer smiled. "Thought so," he said, and he took a key from the keyring on his belt and began unlocking the kennel. The border collie puppy went bonkers with excitement, running back and forth happily. Hiccup straightened up again, and the volunteer opened the door.

Instantly, the dog stopped running and paused, looking up at Hiccup, and then at the volunteer.

"He's kinda shy," said the boy to Hiccup. "But once he gets settled in at his new home I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Hey, bud," said Hiccup, kneeling down again, holding out his hand. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

The puppy looked at his hand and slowly approached. He sniffed Hiccup's fingers again, and then, he nuzzled Hiccup's palm. His bushy tail swept back and forth.

"Perfect," said the volunteer, and he fastened a leash to the dog's temporary collar. "I'll have you sign a few papers, and then he's all yours."

"Thanks," said Hiccup, and he bent down, scooping the border collie pup into his arms. At first, the dog tensed, but then, he relaxed, tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. He licked Hiccup's face, and Hiccup scowled momentarily. The dog only smiled, mouth hanging open, tongue lolling out.

The puppy was still missing half of his teeth.

"Huh," said Hiccup, as he followed the volunteer back to the counter. "Toothless little guy, aren't you?"

The puppy _boofed_ at him, and Hiccup smiled.

"You know what? It's kind of fitting, actually. Toothless. What do you think?"

" _Woof!"_

"Perfect!" said Hiccup, grinning.

The volunteer pulled adoption papers from a drawer behind the desk and set them on the table before Hiccup. He pulled a pencil from the pencil cup and handed it over.

"Just sign here," said the boy, pointing, as Hiccup took the pencil in his free hand, "and here. I'm required to ask if your parent or guardian is okay with the adoption."

"Yeah, my dad's cool," said Hiccup, signing the papers; the border collie, Toothless, leaned over and watched his every move. "Thanks."

"No problem," said the volunteer. "Enjoy your dog."

"Thanks," said Hiccup again, and he turned and headed out the door, out of the shelter, heading down the sidewalk towards his house, which was only a few blocks down the way.

But at the last minute, he stopped and turned around. A large white van had pulled up in front of the shelter, and the words on the side of the vehicle read, _BERK COUNTY POUND_.

Hiccup frowned. He didn't know Berk had an animal control. They had dozens of shelters, yes, but _animal controls?_

A man stepped from the driver seat of the car. He was buff, burly; he could have been a wrestler, or a boxer, and Hiccup wouldn't have been surprised. He had a bald head and dozens of tattoos covering most of his tanned arms, and he regarded the air with a scowl, as though smelling a dead, rotting carcass.

He stormed straight towards the door of the shelter and inside. Hiccup contemplated his options for a moment, and then, headed back.

What was the animal control doing at the shelter?

He waited outside the ajar door and listened in; the man was talking to the boy behind the desk in a deep, menacing, threatening voice.

"...want to speak to the person in charge!" snapped the man furiously.

The boy - who had obviously dealt with this man before - stood his ground. "The boss is out, sir," he growled. "She's hardly ever here. I've told you once, and I'll tell you again, Ryker: she isn't selling this company to the likes of _you_."

The man slammed his balled fist down on the desk. Hiccup winced, shutting his eyes.

"I WON'T WAIT MUCH LONGER, _BOY!"_ he shouted. "My employer wants your company, and he _always_ gets what he wants! You'll see! The next time your pathetic _boss_ is in, give us a call!"

The man, Ryker, slammed a business card down on the desk, turned, and made for the door. Hiccup leapt away and hid behind a conveniently placed dumpster, holding Toothless tighter.

Toothless growled lowly at Ryker, and Ryker suddenly stopped, halting dead in his tracks, listening. Hiccup clamped Toothless' mouth shut with two fingers, hardly daring to breathe.

Ryker looked around skeptically.

And then, he got in the van again and drove off down the street, vanishing around a tight turn.

Hiccup let out a breath. "That was close," he said.

Toothless licked him.

"Come on, bud," Hiccup said, getting to his feet and once again heading down the sidewalk, towards his house. "Let's go home."

Toothless growled his agreement.


	17. An Odd Bunch

**Okay! Here's chapter 17! This story is going exactly according to plan, and it makes it easy, because now that I have sort of an idea of where I want to take the story, writing it is going to be a lot easier. :) So this is a chapter quite a few of you guys have been asking to see - one where Stoick meets the rest of Dragon's Edge :D - and I hope you enjoy it! It's a filler chapter, sort of, because there're no important plot points in it, but in THE NEXT CHAPTER there will be a lot of development! We get more into Stoick's case and who shot him in the first place. :D**

 **But enough about that! That's next chapter! This is this chapter! :D Enjoy chapter 17! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 17: AN ODD BUNCH**_

 **DAY: SEPTEMBER 2  
** **TIME: 4:02 PM  
** **YEAR: 2014**

"This is the place, right?" said Snotlout, looking down at his phone and then back up at the door. He, Astrid, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs stood in front of a large, two-story A-Frame log cabin with a fenced property, large garage, and a huge backyard complete with a dog run and swimming pool.

Fishlegs, too, glanced down at his phone. "Yep," he said, checking over the group text Hiccup had sent them hours before. "Three-two-seven-double zero, on the corner of Hunter and Nadder. This is definitely the right place."

"I didn't know Hiccup's house was so _big_ ," said Tuffnut, gaping at the log house. "This place is sick. I wonder if he has Wifi."

"Okay, guys," said Astrid, turning to the group, "remember, manners. Best behavior."

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "We get it, _Mum_ ," he said. "Now unlock the gate. What did Hiccup say it was?" He checked his texts again. "Seventeen-seventy-six," said Snotlout, and he pocketed his phone.

Astrid punched in the numbers, and the gate swung open. She and her friends filed inside into the Haddock's front yard. Astrid made for the door and knocked three times in a rapid session. From inside, she could hear two dogs barking; one bark sounded high-pitched while the other bark was lower, more threatening.

She heard footsteps, getting louder, and then, she heard the locks on the door being slid back. Hiccup yanked the door open, wearing his trademark black fedora, _Imagine Dragons_ t-shirt that was also black with white blocky letters, coupled with a goofy grin.

"Hey!" he said, grinning. "What's up - ouch, Toothless!" He whirled around, pushing back a fluffy blur of white and black trying to knock him over to see who was at the door. "Hang on, bud! Let them come inside first!"

He pushed Toothless back and flung the door wide. "Come on in!" he said, and Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins filed inside.

"Hi, Toothless!" said Ruffnut excitedly; Hiccup's fluffy border collie barked at her and licked her hand when she held it out to him. Their other dog, Skullcrusher, slunk upstairs, bored, to sleep.

"Hey, Hiccup!" said Tuffnut, looking around, grinning. "Nice place! What's your Wifi password?"

"Tuffnut!" groaned Fishlegs, putting his head in his hands. Tuffnut was always finding ways to embarrass Fishlegs with his lack of consideration, and the biggest problem was Tuffnut didn't even realize he was doing it.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "It's Night Fury one-zero-one," he said to Tuffnut, and Tuffnut instantly whipped out his phone, unlocked it, and tapped his thumbs along its surface. "No capitals and no spaces."

"Got it," said Tuffnut, and he punched _nightfury101_ in his phone. "Yes! It works!"

Astrid took a moment to survey the room they had just walked into. It was obviously the living room, with a leather couch placed in front of a low coffee table, and a widescreen TV was attached to the wall in front of it. On the table was a coffee mug, a silver Apple laptop, and a stack of books, ranging from Shakespeare literature to fiction dystopias.

The carpeting was a Christmas tree green, and shelves made from smooth wood hung from the wall. A brick fireplace stood against the far wall, and Astrid stepped towards it, brows furrowed.

On the mantle were pictures - all sorts of pictures, actually, each framed by smooth, mahogany-colored wood. In one picture, a man and a woman were standing next to each other in an open field, smiling. The woman was flashing the diamond ring on her finger at the camera.

In another picture, Hiccup was holding two drumsticks in a V, like a peace sign, intentionally or unintentionally Astrid couldn't tell. Behind him was what looked like a concert hall.

"Imagine Dragons concert," said Hiccup, coming up behind her, and Astrid jumped out of her skin. "My Dad and I went a few years ago."

Astrid nodded, glancing back towards the picture of the man and woman. "And them?"

"My mom and dad," said Hiccup. "The day they got engaged." He smiled faintly, and then turned away, back towards the rest of the group.

"I didn't know your place was so big," said Fishlegs, looking around, and Astrid looked over her shoulder at her friends. "I love log cabins, Hiccup! I can't remember the last time I saw one like _this_ …it's huge!"

"Thanks, Fishlegs," said Hiccup, grinning. "My dad and I lived in Colorado for a few years, and we always stayed in smaller log cabins over there."

"Why'd you move?" asked Snotlout; he was checking out the TV.

Hiccup shrugged, which could have meant anything. "My dad was transferred when he was made Chief of Police," he said casually. "Anyways, it was years ago, and I couldn't be happier about our place now."

"I bet," said Ruffnut. "This is awesome."

"Dude," said Tuffnut, pointing, "do your Wii controllers work?"

" _TUFFNUT!"_

"It's alright, Fishlegs," said Hiccup, grinning. "Actually, they do, Tuffnut, and if you want I could set you up."

"Great!" said Tuffnut.

...

 **DAY: SEPTEMBER 2  
** **TIME: 8:33 PM  
** **YEAR: 2014**

"Hey! That's not fair! You can't do that!"

"I just did!"

"Stay on the road, Tuffnut!"

 _"WHAT ROAD!?"_

"Dang it, Hiccup! Stop wrecking me!"

"You're looking at Fishlegs' screen! I'm not wrecking you!"

"HOW IS SNOTLOUT IN THE LEAD!?"

"HAHAHA, I'M JUST THAT AWESOME! SNOTLOUT, SNOTLOUT, OY, OY, OY!"

These were the shouts that welcomed Stoick as he stepped into his house later that night, arriving home from the police department. Hiccup, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut sat on the couch, Wii controllers in hand, and Astrid and Ruffnut stood behind the couch, leaning over the back of it, watching the entertaining game.

They only had four Wii controllers, so Ruffnut and Astrid had taken the wheels first while the rest of them watched. Astrid had won breezily while Ruffnut had intentionally driven backwards most of the track, coming in second place (which wasn't bad, considering there were eight racers to compete against).

After they had their turn, Hiccup, Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs had taken the controllers. And right now, Snotlout had the lead with Hiccup hot on his tail, Tuffnut having been lapped and Fishlegs not much different.

"Dad!" said Hiccup, as soon as he noticed his father's arrival, and he paused the game just before Snotlout crossed the finish line (much to Snotlout's objection). "Hey! You're home early!"

"Yes," said Stoick. "I wanted to meet those friends you've been telling me about."

"Oh, really?" said Tuffnut, looking around. "Who are they?"

"That would be us, genius," said Snotlout, getting up and holding his hand out to Stoick. "The name's Scott Jorgenson," said Snotlout, shaking Stoick's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Scott," said Stoick.

"I'm Rachel," said Ruffnut. "The idiot over there is Timothy." Tuffnut was still looking around. "This is Filey," said Ruffnut, pointing to Fishlegs, "and that's Astrid." Astrid held out her hand, and Stoick shook it.

"Hiccup's probably the best drummer we've ever had for the Dragon's Edge," said Snotlout. "I mean, honestly, he's great."

"Well, I'm sure he is," said Stoick proudly, wrapping an arm around Hiccup's shoulders. "He's been working hard at them for a long time."

"We're trying to get a gig," said Astrid, "but we haven't gotten anything."

"Not _yet_ we haven't!" said Tuffnut, grinning. "But when we do, it's going to be _awesome!_ We'll bring our all of our special effects, have the best sound crew in the world - that's me and Rachel, by the way - and an awesome hit song!"

Hiccup knew the group must have looked strange to his father. Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who looked like DJs just waiting to get behind the song players, and Snotlout and Astrid, who looked like they could be heads of street gangs with their leather and spikes. And finally Fishlegs, who looked like a boy fresh out of junior high.

"Well, basically, this is what we deal with everyday," said Snotlout, gesturing at the twins.

"And you shall deal with it forevermore!" laughed Tuffnut, somewhat madly. "But more importantly, are you any good at Mario Kart?" For emphasis, he held up his Wii controller and passed Snotlout's (once again, to Snotlout's objection) towards Stoick's. "I could use a break from Mr. Snotlout Oy-Oy over here," said Tuffnut.

Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Well, certainly," said Stoick. "I suppose I could give it a go."

In the end, Stoick ended up coming in first (though he nearly tied with Hiccup a few times, as both of them were equally competitive). They took turns with the Wii controllers, and once everyone had had their share of Mario Kart, Astrid, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs gathered their things and prepared to go.

"Thanks for having us, Hiccup," said Fishlegs. "And thank you, Mr. Haddock."

"It was my pleasure, Finley," said Stoick.

"Dude!" said Tuffnut, throwing an arm around Hiccup's shoulders. "We _have_ to do that more often! Maybe we should save up and buy a Wii for headquarters! That'd be awesome!"

"Yeah, it would be," said Snotlout, shouldering his backpack. "Alright, guys, we should probably head out."

"Right," said Ruffnut, nodding. "Bye, Hiccup! We'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow!"

"Alright," said Hiccup. "Tomorrow."

Astrid stepped forward, kissed Hiccup's cheek hastily, and headed off with the others. Hiccup blinked twice, then thrice, and then, once the black Dragon's Edge van pulled off down the street, reached up to touch his cheek.

He smiled.

Granted, his friends were an odd bunch, but he wouldn't have had it any other way.


	18. Like a Shot

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, and sorry for the shorter chapter. I was going to update this tomorrow, but I'm probably not going to be able to update ANYTHING tomorrow, because I'm gonna be away from my computer all day.**

 **So, basically, I'm getting braces tomorrow, which is a bummer because my teeth are totally straight, but I have a problem with one tooth. See, one of my front teeth never fell out, and the dentist didn't think this was strange for the longest time, but when they X-rayed it they saw that the big tooth that was supposed to push that smaller tooth out is actually trying to grow through the roof of my mouth. So to fix that, they're going to give me braces, pull the baby tooth, and hook a chain to the tooth in the roof of my mouth and pull it down into place.**

 **So I'm not looking forward to that. I mean, braces, yes, I am looking forward to those (I'm going to wear them for the full two years), but the whole chain thing's gonna be pretty painful, so, oh well. At least my wisdom teeth are straight as of now, so I don't have to worry about getting those removed yet. :)**

 **Anyways, pray for me! XD I'll see you all next chapter! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 18: LIKE A SHOT**_

 **DAY: DECEMBER 12  
** **TIME: 11:43 PM  
** **YEAR: 2017**

The white headlights of the car blared against black cement; it was late at night, the moon hanging in the sky above, and Hiccup watched the road constantly, hands on the steering wheel, one hand occasionally reaching to take his coffee cup from its holder. He couldn't remember the last time he'd driven this late, and one thing was certain: he definitely liked driving in the daytime more than the nighttime.

In the passenger seat of their silver Suburban sat Hiccup's father - just discharged from the hospital. Stoick had been insistent on driving, and Hiccup had been insistent on refusing.

"I can drive, Dad," Hiccup had said, climbing into the driver's seat in the hospital parking lot, an hour previously. "You took a bullet to the chest. You are _not_ driving."

It had happened months ago, granted, but it still scared the living daylights out of Hiccup. Stoick had finally relented, taking the passenger seat, and Hiccup, triumphant, had started the long drive home.

It reminded him somewhat of the time he'd lost his leg, only their roles were reversed. He'd slept most of the drive home then, but Stoick stayed awake, constantly watching Hiccup, and Hiccup, every now and then, glanced at him.

The roads were empty aside from the occasional car or truck. The only sound was the engine of the car. When Hiccup finally reached their house's front gate, he punched in the gate code and pulled up the driveway of their A-frame log cabin.

The brakes squeaked; Hiccup made a mental note to check them in the morning. He sighed heavily and cut the engine, pulling the keys into his hand. "Home," he said, dreamily.

Because for the first time in what felt like forever, he and his father were back where they belonged.

Home.

…

 **DAY: JANUARY 27  
** **TIME: 9:34 AM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

Stoick and Hiccup walked through the doors of Berk County Police Department, Stoick in his usual police uniform and Hiccup in a green t-shirt and jeans. White lights glowed on the ceiling, and the entire room flooded with bright light. Not one corner was left in the shadows.

"Ah, Stoick!" came a voice thick with a Scottish accent, and a somewhat short man reached out to shake Stoick's hand. "Good to have you back! Good day, Hickory." He shook Hiccup's hand, too.

"It's good to be back, Mulch," said Stoick. "Now. You said you had news."

Stoick had received a call from the man, Mulch, last night, concerning the case upon which Stoick had been shot. The other officers had, with help from their detectives, found more information concerning the man who had shot him.

"Ah, yes," said Mulch, nodding. "We have news. This way." He turned, motioned for them to follow, and headed down the hallway, towards the room nearest to the back of the office.

Hiccup had only tagged along because he was as heart-set on finding the man who had shot his father as his father was head-set on sustaining justice. He'd sent the gang of Dragon's Edge a group message, saying he wouldn't be able to meet up with them until later, and then, he'd gone with his father, who hadn't questioned his son's decision.

They followed Mulch into another room lit similarly to the entry way; a computer with a large screen sat on a desk, and dozens of photos and papers were strewn in front of it. Mulch collected these and set them aside, and then leaned over the computer. He typed in the password and opened the case file.

"When the doctors removed the bullet," said Mulch, "they handed it over to the detective inspectors for further information. They found something very... _unique_ on the bullet."

He clicked something, and the picture of the bullet popped up on the screen. It was as normal as any bullet Hiccup had ever seen before, but there was something different. On the side of the bullet, it looked like words had been carved in tiny font, and Hiccup couldn't read it to save his life.

"Here," said Mulch, scrolling over the words with the cursor and magnifying it. The words, written in blood-red, were finally distinguishable.

 _I, ALONE, CONTROL THEM ALL._

Hiccup blinked. That didn't make any sense. The letters were blocky and looked like something out of a horror film.

Hiccup didn't understand what it meant, but by the look on his father's face, and by the look on Mulch's as well, they both understood what it meant _perfectly_.

"What is that?" Hiccup finally asked, and he found his voice had been reduced to a whisper without his consent.

Mulch glared at the picture and closed out of it. "Every serial killer has their mark," said Mulch.

"And this mark," said Stoick darkly, "belongs to one we've been chasing for years."

"Whenever we came close to catching him for good," said Mulch, "he always managed to escape, just to appear somewhere else, somewhere _different_ , and he always struck down his next victim before the police arrived at the crime scene."

"A serial killer," said Hiccup, hysterics rising in his chest. Serial killers were usually the things you saw on the news, the things people only talked about, the things you never wanted to face - and here Mulch was saying a serial killer had been the one to shoot his father.

"He tried to kill you," said Hiccup to Stoick.

"That's probably what he was going for, yes," said Mulch. "Most of his victims end up dead, others, forever scarred. You were luckier than most, Stoick."

"Who is he?" asked Hiccup, because now, he _had_ to know.

Mulch looked at the computer screen, and then back down at Hiccup.

"He's gone by many names in the past," said Mulch. "But right now, he's calling himself Drago Bludvist."

…

 **DAY: JANUARY 27  
** **TIME: 2:13 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

Tuffnut choked on his milkshake; his ballcap fell over his eyes. "Whoa! No _way!"_ he said, once he had gotten his breath back. "A serial killer! Right here in Berk!"

They were at Berk's cafe downtown, sitting at a booth near the window, Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs on one side and Snotlout and the twins on the other. The tiled floor of the cafe was red and black, like a checkerboard, and the metal tables had the same pattern. The chairs were red; the booths were red leather.

Snotlout, wearing his usual biker jacket and scowl, elbowed Tuffnut hard in the ribs. "Ouch!" protested Tuffnut, rubbing his side. "Why would you do that!?"

"Serial killers aren't a _good_ thing, Tuffnut," said Fishlegs, and he looked terrified; Hiccup's account of the case had scared him thoroughly. "Oh, gosh, this is bad. I hope the police catch him soon."

"The police has been looking for Mr. Dargo Bloodyfist for years," said Ruffnut, sitting back, turning her ballcap backwards. "They haven't found him yet. Don't you guys watch late night television? That's when all the reports on Drago have been coming in."

"Yeah," said Tuffnut, nodding. "They're pretty freaky stuff, you know, but Drago hasn't _killed_ anyone in a long while. According to the reports, he hasn't been seen in almost a year. Police were beginning to think he was gone for good."

"Until, of course, recently," said Ruffnut.

"This is bad," said Fishlegs. "This is...really bad. A...a serial killer…"

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "What would a serial killer want with a few instrument-playing teenagers?" he said, and then, more seriously, "Why do you think he shot Stoick, anyways? Why not go for the mayor, or someone in higher power?"

"Stoick's the Chief of Police, Snotlout, remember?" said Astrid, pushing her blue-streaked hair out of her face. "Maybe he thought if he took out Stoick, it'd strike fear into the rest of us."

"And it worked," moaned Fishlegs helplessly, putting his head in his hands.

"No it didn't," said Snotlout, "because Stoick's still here. Just you wait. The police will hunt down that maniac without breaking a sweat. I mean, it's not like _we_ have to worry...right?"

They exchanged glances, and then looked back at Snotlout.

None of them had the answer.


	19. Sanctuary of the Secret Society

**Hello, my friends! :D So, I officially have my upper braces on! They're burgundy colored, if anyone wants to know. They didn't have mahogany, which is my favorite color, but burgundy is a close second, so I went with those. :) And even though I wasn't technically supposed to have sweets, the blended frapps at Starbucks were half-off, so I had to get one, right? XD**

 **Oh, and if anyone wants to know, I have officially become a part of the Death Note fandom. So I don't watch a whole lot of Anime, but Death Note is officially my favorite. If you guys are into that kind of style, WATCH DEATH NOTE, ALRIGHT? IT'S AMAZING. I have ten more episodes to go and then I've completed the series. Watch it. You won't regret it, I promise. :D**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter 19! Read the bottom author's note if you fancy! :D Oh, and something I don't think I mentioned before:**

 **ALVIN THE TREACHEROUS WILL BE MAKING HIS APPEARANCE IN THIS STORY SOON, ALRIGHT? I HAVE EVERYTHING PLANNED OUT. :D**

 **OH, SORRY, I'M TALKING TOO MUCH, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION:**

 **DO YOU WANT A CHAPTER WITH HICCUP GETTING HIS PROSTHETIC FITTED AND USED TO IT AND WHAT NOT? LET ME KNOW! :D ENJOY CHAPTER 19! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 19: SANCTUARY OF THE SECRET SOCIETY**_

 **DAY: APRIL 16  
** **TIME: 10:10 AM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

Hiccup was typing away on his laptop, writing a research essay for Ruffnut and Tuffnut on the different possible uses of carbon dioxide. He'd asked them why dozens of times, but they'd always answered with the same thing: they were curious.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Hiccup had told them as he shouldered his backpack the previous day, preparing to leave Dragon's Edge HQ with Toothless standing obediently by his side.

"Yeah," Tuffnut had replied, crossing his arms, "but satisfaction brought it back!"

Hiccup had known the gang for years now, and he wasn't any closer to understanding them as he had been years ago, the first day he walked into headquarters with Toothless.

Hiccup's Skype notification popped up on the bottom right corner of his screen, and he moused over it.

Tuffnut: _You done yet? :)_

Hiccup groaned under his breath, opened his Skype, and typed a quick, _No_ before returning to his work. Thirty seconds had barely passed before another message popped up.

Tuffnut: _How about now? :) :) :)_

Hiccup sighed.

 _No, Tuffnut_.

He waited another few seconds. And then, just as he had expected, another message flew onto the screen.

 _How about…*drum roll*...NOW? :D_

Hiccup didn't even answer this time. He pulled up his essay again and continued typing, tapping on the keys without a care in the world. More messages began to pop up on the corner of his screen, and he glanced at them; Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut were online.

Snotlout: _Okay, Tuff, cut it out, before Hiccup blows a fuse._

Ruffnut: _Wait, Hiccup's going to blow a fuse? Now there's something I actually might like to see! :)_

Astrid: _Seriously, guys?_

Tuffnut: _Not seriously! Hilariously! :D_

Fishlegs: _You know you're hopeless, Tuffnut, right?_

Tuffnut: _Yeah, I know._

Snotlout: _Hey, Hiccup, you planning on coming by the Edge today? I picked out another song we could start working on. The intro's all on drums, so I thought you might like it_.

Hiccup tapped and sent his response. _I wasn't planning on it, but I could stop by for a little while. Go ahead and email me the song, would you? I'll start listening to it._

Snotlout: _You got it, dude!_

Tuffnut: _Hey, Hiccup, you done with the research now? :)_

Hiccup: _-_-_

Tuffnut: ... _I don't think he's done_.

Astrid: _Ya think?_

Hiccup: _I'll catch up with you later, alright? I'll finish up the paper and bring it by the Edge this afternoon. Until then. :)_

Fishlegs: _Sounds great, Hiccup. We'll see you later! :)_

Fishlegs left the chat room, and soon after him followed Astrid, Snotlout, and the twins. Hiccup sighed, closed Skype, and went back to his paper.

"For the love of all things bright and beautiful, Toothless," moaned Hiccup, putting his head in his hands; Toothless, sitting at the foot of the couch, _woofed_ and looked up at him. "Why'd I agree to do this stupid paper? It's not like the twins _need_ the information…"

Toothless leapt onto the couch and tilted his head at the laptop screen. Hiccup scowled and gave the dog a shove.

"You know you're not allowed on the furniture, Toothless."

Toothless whined.

"Yeah yeah yeah, complain all you want. It won't change anything."

Toothless swished his long, fluffy tail, whacking Hiccup in the face. "Ow!" Hiccup protested. "HEY! What was that for!?"

Toothless grinned fiendishly, snatched Hiccup's phone off the coffee table and bounded around the room excitedly, almost tauntingly.

"Hey! I need that, Toothless!"

Toothless didn't answer. He _boofed,_ somewhat muffled due to the phone between his teeth, and bounded around the couch, across the living room. Hiccup tossed his laptop aside and got to his feet, chasing after his dog.

"Come on, Toothless, give it back!"

" _Boof!"_

"I'm serious!"

" _Woof!"_

It was almost like Toothless was taunting him.

"C'mere, you!" Hiccup said, and he finally managed to grab Toothless, tackling the border collie, who was as big as he was at this point, to the ground. Toothless _yipped!_ in defeat and released Hiccup's phone.

Hiccup instantly snatched it from the floor and wiped slobber off it. "If this doesn't wash out, Toothless…" Hiccup began, and then let his threat hang in the air. Toothless thought it was hilariously funny, and he licked Hiccup's face, undaunted. "OY! T-TOOTHLESS!"

Toothless leapt onto the couch again and laid down. Hiccup got to his feet, brushing dog hair off the front of his shirt.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks for nothing, you useless animal."

" _Woof."_

Hiccup groaned and set his phone down on the coffee table. Just as he did, the messenger _Bleeped!,_ and Hiccup picked it up again.

 _New message from Dad._

Hiccup tapped it and read it.

 _I'm working a late shift tonight. I'll be home late. You don't have to stay up for me._

Hiccup typed his response and set the phone down again. He looked at Toothless and pointed. "You're lucky it still works, Toothless," he said, referring to the phone.

Toothless rolled his eyes, unconcerned, and laid down his head.

 _Knock, knock, knock_.

Hiccup frowned and spun towards the door. Toothless perked up instantly, growling lowly.

"Huh…" Hiccup said. "That's...that's weird...Dad wasn't going to be home until late…"

 _Knock, knock, knock_.

Hiccup rethought it and shook his head. No, his dad had a key to the house; he wouldn't have wasted his time knocking. And the rest of the gang wouldn't have come over to his house; Astrid and Fishlegs would have been polite enough to ask, and the twins and Snotlout, though they were weirdoes, still would have asked for permission beforehand.

"Who is it?" Hiccup called, somewhat stupidly.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Toothless leapt up on the couch, putting himself between Hiccup and the door, snarling. Hiccup grabbed a golf club from the closet and stepped up beside Toothless, facing the door.

"Okay!" he shouted, reaching for his phone, other hand closed tightly around the golf club. "You either tell me who you are, or I'll call the police!"

Pause.

"Don't think I won't!" he threatened. "My dad's the Chief! I don't think he'd-"

The door knob jostled, and Hiccup realized something he really should have realized before.

The door was unlocked.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap…

The door swung open. Hiccup raised his golf club, but he didn't get close. Toothless, teeth barred, moved closer to Hiccup. The dog was vicious when he wanted to be, but he wouldn't attack unless they were in serious danger.

Hiccup honestly didn't know who he had been expecting to come through the door, but it wasn't _this_. A slender woman stood in the doorway, with long russet hair and deep green eyes. She wore a plaid shirt and jeans, and her eyes were... _kind_ , oddly enough.

"Who are you!?" Hiccup demanded, feeling somewhat hysteric, because _DARN IT SOMEONE HAD JUST BROKEN INTO HIS HOUSE AND WHAT THE HECK WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THAT!?_ "What do you want from me!?"

The woman stared at him, shocked. It scared the living daylights out of him.

"Get out of my house!" he shouted.

The woman finally broke from her trance and took one step forward. "Hickory, please," she said. "Hear me out."

Ha! Yeah right! That was the _last_ thing Hiccup wanted to do at this point. In fact, he was so shocked for a moment that the woman had asked him to "hear her out" after breaking into his house that he didn't realize she'd addressed him by Hickory.

Most those who knew him knew him by Hiccup, not Hickory.

He tried reaching his phone, but he misjudged the distance, took a step backwards, tripped, and hit the ground. He wielded the golf club like a weapon, scooting backwards while Toothless backed up, still putting himself between his boy and the woman.

The woman looked hurt, almost. "Hiccup," she said again.

And something about her voice jarred a memory; one Hiccup wasn't even aware he had up until now. In the memory, he looked on the face of a much-younger woman and much-younger man; the same woman standing before him now, and Hiccup could tell in a heartbeat the man was his father.

Hiccup glanced over at the fireplace, at the picture frames seated atop the mantle. The same man and same woman, smiling, the woman flashing a ringed-finger at the camera.

Hiccup's golf club clattered to the ground. He didn't even register dropping it until Toothless yelped in surprise and sprang backwards. Hiccup blinked once, then twice, at the woman in front of them. He'd pieced it together, but that didn't mean it made _sense_ …

"...Mom…?"

The woman smiled at him. Hiccup knew that smile. It couldn't be fake; this wasn't someone pretending, wasn't someone pretending to be his mother for whatever purpose.

This was his mother.

"Yes," she said. "I'm your mother."

She confirmed it.

 _She freaking confirmed it_.

And she wasn't lying.

Hiccup didn't know what to do. How to react. What to _say_. What was he _supposed_ to say? He hadn't seen the woman since he was a baby, which was...twenty years ago.

"But...but you…" he spluttered for a moment, finally scrambling to his feet after regaining some of his wits. "You...I thought you…"

His mother nodded, then looked down at the ground, as if regretting something - and it didn't take a genius to realize what. "I'm sorry, Hiccup," she said, glancing up at him again. "I-"

Hiccup cut her off. Instantly. He didn't actually register what he was doing until it was too late to back out. He leapt forward and embraced her tightly, without thinking, without hardly registering anything.

At first, his mother stiffened in shock, but then, she embraced him tightly back. No words needed to be spoken between the two. And poor Toothless, more confused than ever, sat back, tilted his head, and grunted.

This was...more or less the weirdest thing the dog had seen in his life.

Hiccup's mother pulled back before he was ready to let go, and she took him by the shoulders, holding him at arm's length. There was no doubt in Hiccup's mind. This woman was his mother. He didn't understand _how_ just yet, but that didn't even matter at this point in time. He had thousands of questions that needed to be answered, but he decided that even those could wait for a little while.

"Look at you…" she said, smiling softly. "All grown up, aren't you?"

Hiccup swallowed. Now that he was _asked_ a question, he didn't know what to say. So he simply nodded instead.

And then, he blurted one single question before he could rethink his decision.

"...Where were you, Mom?"

His mother nodded. "Right," she said. "You have the right to know."

…

"...I'm sure you've heard of the villain, Drago Bludvist," said Valka; she and Hiccup were seated on the couch in the living room, side-by-side, while Toothless paced, still clearly confused by the whole situation.

Hiccup swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I've definitely heard of him. He's…"

"A serial killer, yes," said Valka, nodding knowingly. "He's been at large for longer than I could remember. Over the past twenty years he's become more and more of a threat. He's been bolder in his attempted murders. Before, they were small targets, like a manager at a corner store or an innocent bystander...he's a monster, Drago...but lately he's been going for larger targets. Chiefs of police, for instance."

Hiccup didn't need clarification for this.

"Your father may not have told you this, Hiccup," said Valka, "but before I married him, I worked with a secret society known as the Sanctuary. We dedicated ourselves to finding and hunting down Drago Bludvist. I retired shortly after your birth, but then, Drago went for bigger targets, policemen, sheriffs...he even attempted to assassinate the mayor of a nearby town."

She paused and sighed.

"...They were short of agents," said Valka. "They'd moved to an underground base for their own safety. Drago was now hunting them, and he'd managed to kill some of the most dedicated, the ones closest to finding him. They needed help. So…"

"You went," said Hiccup.

"I did more than that," said Valka, shaking her head. "I...I faked my death."

…

" _Agent Haddock! Get down!" the chief of the investigation barked. "Do you want a bullet through your skull!? GET DOWN!"_

 _A much younger Valka crouched behind a bullet-proof panel of glass. Bullets ricocheted off it by the dozen. The looming shadow of a man stood in the doorway of the shack, where the members of the Sanctuary had tracked and decided was Drago Bludvist's current dwelling._

 _Valka stole a glance by peering around the side of the glass; she had to jerk back to avoid several bullets to the head. She waited, took a deep breath, and then, leapt from behind the glass. She cocked her gun, aimed, and fired at will._

" _Agent Haddock! What are you thinking!? AGENT HADDOCK!"_

 _BANG!_

…

" _...Valka Haddock, age twenty-one, has been reported dead," the evening reporter stated. "Several witnesses recall seeing her shot to the chest, and although the cultrip has yet to be apprehended, we can assure the public that the police are taking care of the situation, as we speak."_

…

"It wasn't even hard," said Valka to Hiccup, glancing up at him. "A decoy body, packets of blood of my own type. I explained to the Sanctuary that the only way I would be able to work on the Drago Bludvist case would be if the rest of the world believed me to be dead. They agreed."

Hiccup moistened his lips. He hadn't been expecting _this_. "So...why reveal yourself now? Doesn't that make the whole faking your death vain?"

Valka was shaking her head before he even finished speaking. "No, Hiccup," she said. "I revealed myself now because of what happened to your father. It was on the news for weeks. _Chief of Berk County Police department shot by notorious villain Drago Bludvist._ I realized that if I hadn't been 'killed', your father wouldn't have become a policeman and wouldn't have been shot in the first place."

"Drago started hitting too close to home, didn't he," said Hiccup. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes," said Valka. "That is exactly it, Hiccup. I figured if any time was a good time to reveal myself, it was now. Looking back, I wish I'd never hidden in the first place. I not only abandoned your father, but I abandoned you. I put both of you in danger."

"But you were trying to protect us," said Hiccup. "You were trying to apprehend Drago so we'd be safer. I...I know you wouldn't...do it if you didn't have reason to…"

But it still hurt.

It still _hurt_ , like a knife, the fact that she'd left them, even if she had good reason.

Valka must have caught the pain in his expression, because she averted her gaze. Tears glistened in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry."

Hiccup really didn't have the heart to be angry with her after that. "I...I forgive you," he said. "You were just trying to protect me and my father…"

Something suddenly flicked on in his mind.

"My father!" he gasped, leaping to his feet and snatching his phone from the coffee table. "Oh my gosh, he thinks you're dead! oh, this is going to blow his mind…" He dialed his father's number and held the phone to his ear. Valka watched him wordlessly.

"Hey, Dad? Yeah, it's Hiccup. I...what? Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to call you with this number, but it's…" He looked at Valka, gave her a smile, and then, into the phone, "There's...there's something you need to know. It's urgent. ...No, it can't wait. You have to come home. Right now. Right now, Dad."

He hung up and silenced his phone, just in case his father tried calling him back.

Valka looked down again. "I missed you, Hiccup," she said, as he took his seat beside her again.

For what felt like the thousandth time that day, Hiccup swallowed. "I missed you too," he said.

And they embraced each other, wordlessly, because, just like before, no words needed to be spoken.

* * *

 **OKAY. So I know a few of you will be kinda angry at me for bringing Valka into this, but if you noticed, I did change Valka's story quite a bit, and I felt the need to explain it at least a little bit.**

 **First of all, Drago and Valka are both key characters in HTTYD2, so it wouldn't seem right to have Drago appear in this fic without Valka. Honestly, it took me a long (and I mean a _long_ ) time before I accepted Valka's character just because she ABANDONED HER FAMILY ENOUGH SAID but eventually I kinda learned not to be bugged. **

**So if you noticed, I had Valka reveal _herself_ in this fanfiction, which is redeeming. Sure, she still left Hiccup and Stoick for twenty years, but she came back, unlike what happened in HTTYD2, where Hiccup ran into her accidentally. Anyways, yeah. I brought Valka into it! And please don't put hate in the comments. Well, okay, you _can_ if you want, I ain't gonna stop you - I'll just disregard it. :) **

**Anyways, cheers! :D The next chapter should be up reasonably soon! :D**


	20. For the Dancing and the Dreaming

**Hey guys! :D Sorry this took me so long. I have so many ideas for this story, I can't decide which to do first. :) So, the last few chapters were kind of placed in a more serious level, so I decided to give you the thing you've all been waiting for.**

 **HICCSTRID.**

 **Okay, yes, this chapter has Hiccstrid in it. Probably not as much as most of you would like, but definitely enough to satisfy you for now. In the next chapter I'm planning to have Stoick's reaction to Valka along with some more Valka and Hiccup bonding, if I can fit all of that into one chapter.**

 **Oh, and some of you were wondering:**

 **WHY DIDN'T VALKA REACT TO HICCUP'S PROSTHETIC?**

 **ANSWER:**

 **SHE DIDN'T NOTICE IT. See, I always imagine Hiccup wearing jeans, and he's the kind of person who likes wearing his shoes around the house (I am also this kind of person, so I kind of based that little tidbit about him on me, haha XD), and Valka was a bit too overwhelmed with actually seeing Hiccup again to notice it.**

 **BUT SHE WILL NOTICE IT. SOON.**

 **NOW I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU:**

 **IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, DO YOU WANT MORE STOICK AND VALKA, OR HICCUP AND VALKA? LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND I'LL SEE ALL YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE SOON! :D ENJOY CHAPTER 20! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 20: FOR THE DANCING AND THE DREAMING**_

 **DAY: OCTOBER 1  
** **TIME: 7:54 AM  
** **YEAR: 2014**

"URGH! This is pointless!"

Snotlout threw an entire stack of sheet music onto the ground; Fishlegs, who had been standing nearby, threw his hands above his head and shrieked in terror. Ruffnut and Tuffnut cackled, and Hiccup and Astrid, sitting opposite of each other on the couches, watched, deadpan.

"This sucks!" said Snotlout, stomping his foot. "This really really sucks!"

"Dude, chill," said Tuffnut, putting out his hands. "We get it. It sucks."

"I don't get it," said Ruffnut, frowning. " _What_ sucks?"

"Everything!" said Snotlout furiously. "I've been trying to find this song for months, but I can't! Every single one needs a backup singer! We don't have a backup singer!"

"Are you throwing a tantrum because we don't have a _backup_ singer?" said Fishlegs, kneeling down and gathering up the sheet music Snotlout had thrown. "It really isn't that big a deal, Snotlout-"

"Oh, yes it is!" objected Snotlout, jabbing a finger in Fishlegs' face; Fishlegs yelped and dropped the papers. "If we're going to be professional, we're going to have to do it right! Tuffnut, Ruffnut! How good are your singing voices?"

"Well, I can imitate a chainsaw," said Ruffnut, "but not much else."

"And I couldn't carry a tune if it had a handle on it," said Tuffnut.

Snotlout spun around, looked at Fishlegs, opened his mouth, raised his finger-

"Nobody look at me!" shrieked Fishlegs, throwing the papers over his head and scurrying away as fast as he could on his short legs. Snotlout groaned and looked in Hiccup and Astrid's direction; neither had said anything since the conversation began.

Astrid was flicking absentmindedly through a magazine, and Hiccup scratched Toothless behind the ears, eyes on his watch - he was probably counting how long the argument was going.

"Huh…" said Snotlout, anger vanishing as soon as it had come. "You know what...I think I have an idea," he said, scratching his chin. "We don't need a backup singer after all."

"Oh, thank goodness," said Fishlegs, shutting his eyes and putting his head in his hands. "For a second I thought-"

"We need a music video!" finished Snotlout, effortlessly cutting Fishlegs off.

"And I spoke too soon," said Fishlegs, and he sighed heavily.

"A music video?" said Tuffnut, tilting his head to one side. "Are you seriously considering that, Snotlout? I mean, it's not like we have a good camera or anything-"

"Astrid," said Snotlout, ignoring Tuffnut, and Astrid raised her head; her blue-streaked bangs fell in her face, "isn't your mom a photographer?"

"Yeah," said Astrid, closing the magazine and setting it to the side, "but I doubt she'd trust _you_ with her camera. It cost her a few thousand bucks."

"My dad has an old video camera," said Hiccup, looking up, taking his can of coke off the coffee table. "It's been collecting dust in our attic for years. I doubt he'd mind if we used it."

"Great!" said Snotlout, clapping his hands together. "And you two, Hiccup and Astrid, are going to be the stars!"

Hiccup choked on his soda and coughed into his elbow; Astrid jerked forward, staring at Snotlout as though he'd sprouted horns.

"W-what!?" stuttered Hiccup helplessly. "No way!"

"Yes way!" said Snotlout. "It's perfect! The punk and the emo!"

"I am not punk!" snapped Hiccup, while at the same time, Astrid jumped to her feet and shouted, "I am not emo!"

"But you're _adorable_ together," said Tuffnut, making his two pointer fingers touch. "And it's just one music video, right? And it's not like you'll be in love, or have to kiss, or whatever-"

"It's just a one time thing," said Snotlout, "and naturally, _I_ would make myself the second star and be in the video with Astrid, but I'm going to be the one manning the camera, since Fishlegs has butterfingers and the twins can't be trusted with anything expensive."

Astrid made a face. "Well, if it's a choice between Hiccup and _Snotlout,_ " she said, "I'd definitely pick Hiccup."

Hiccup frowned. "Thanks."

"Well, whatever," said Astrid, ignoring Hiccup for the time being. "What are you planning for the music video?"

"It's hard to say," said Snotlout. "I'm thinking it'd be a great advertisement for our band, you know? Make a YouTube channel and throw it on there along with some of our other recordings and boom, we're known to the world. I'll get to writing the song."

"This is going to be so much fun!" said Fishlegs, and he, once again, began gathering the sheet music into his arms.

Hiccup bit his lip. "Yeah. Fun."

"You don't even know if we can _sing_ ," said Astrid to Snotlout, as he pulled up his computer and created a new file titled _Music Video Song._ "What are you planning to do? Use your vocals for my voice? I don't get your logic."

"Well, obviously it'll be yours and Hiccup's voices," said Snotlout. "If they sound horrible I'll do some editing and make it sound better. If it's _too_ awful we'll get someone else to do it, but I can fool around with effects pretty well, it shouldn't be a problem."

"So you're going to make us learn the song," said Hiccup, "make us _record_ the song, and change it up if we don't have good singing voices?"

"Exactly," said Snotlout.

"That's not a very good plan," said Hiccup.

"Well, whatever!" snapped Snotlout. "It'll work, just you wait! First things first, though, I've got to write the lyrics, so everyone shut up!"

…

 **DAY: OCTOBER 17  
** **TIME: 8:05 AM  
** **YEAR: 2014**

"Done!" Snotlout cheered as he charged into Dragon's Edge HQ that morning, waving two pieces of paper over his head. "I finally tuned up the lyrics! Did you two get the melody recordings I emailed last week?"

Hiccup, sitting behind his drums, pulled off his headphones, and Astrid, tuning her electric guitar, looked up.

"Yes," said Astrid flatly. "You emailed it at least seven times a day."

"I just wanted to make sure you got it!" said Snotlout. "Here, these are your lyrics." He passed Astrid one of the sheets. "And yours." He handed the other copy to Hiccup's. "I wrote it as a duet, so you two are going to have to be watching and listening for your cues, got it?"

Ruffnut and Tuffnut arrived at that moment, dragging their feet as they walked through the door. "Eh, sorry we're late," moaned Ruffnut. "Tuffnut whacked the snooze button so hard he broke it."

"Hey, have you ever wondered," said Tuffnut, as if he'd come to a sudden realization, "what would happen if, when you hit your alarm clock, it hit you back?"

"Well," said Hiccup, grinning, raising his drumsticks, "I guess that'd be…"

"Hiccup, don't you _dare-"_

" _-Alarming_."

 _Ba-dum-ta!_

"Hiccup," said Astrid, "I will confiscate your drumsticks. Don't think I won't."

Ruffnut and Tuffnut laughed hysterically, and Fishlegs, sitting behind the sound booth, groaned. Snotlout glared at Hiccup darkly and pointed towards the door. "Get out. Right now."

"No, don't get out!" said Tuffnut, grinning. "Stay in and make more puns!"

"Okay!" said Snotlout, and this time, he shifted his glare to the still-laughing Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who shut themselves up instantly at the look on his face. "If you're quite finished, _Hiccup_ , we'll start working on the music!"

Hiccup groaned, set down his drumsticks, and got out from behind the set, coming to stand beside Astrid, looking over the lyrics.

"Snotlout, this is cheesy," said Hiccup, frowning. "Sorry, but-"

"No one asked for your opinion, Pun Master," said Snotlout. "Since the song. You two, Astrid."

Astrid groaned. "I don't _like_ singing," she said. "I don't know why I tolerate you all."

"Maybe because we're _irresistible_ ," said Tuffnut, flicking his hair.

Astrid glared. "How about _you_ get out, Tuffnut?"

"Sorry!" said Tuffnut, throwing his hands in the air.

"Well, we'll be behind the sound booth if you need us," said Snotlout, stepping back. "I'll play the metronome from here. You know the cues, right?"

Astrid and Hiccup nodded.

"Good," said Snotlout. "We'll be here if you need us." He and the twins joined Fishlegs behind the booth, and after fiddling with a few buttons, the metronome ticked through the amplifiers.

Astrid groaned again. "Well, looks like you start it, Hiccup," she said, looking over the lyrics.

"Right," said Hiccup. "Okay…" He waited for the metronome, and then, taking a deep breath, sang (or, he spoke more than he sang - he didn't exactly know the tempo of the lyrics yet) the first line.

" _I'll swim or sail on savage seas,  
_ " _With ne'er a fear of drowning.  
_ " _And gladly ride the waves of life.  
_ " _If you'll journey with me."_

He looked over at Snotlout, almost furiously, and Snotlout mouthed _keep going_ at him impatiently. Hiccup sighed and, doing his best to ignore his annoying friends in the sound booth, moved on.

" _No scorching sun, nor freezing cold,  
_ " _Will stop me on this journey.  
_ " _If you will promise me your heart…"_

He sighed. This was stupid. He didn't know why he ever agreed to something like this. It wasn't like he had a good singing voice, and the fact he was forced to sing in front of _Astrid_ , probably the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, was even more humiliating. Maybe he should talk to Snotlout, ask him to call it off…

" _...And love me for eternity."_

Hiccup froze. Astrid had sung her part of the duet, and _for the love of all things bright and beautiful_ her voice was _incredible_. Hiccup, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs stared at her, jaws dropped, thoroughly shocked. Hiccup didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it definitely wasn't _that_.

Astrid took a deep breath and looked at him. He nodded, and she went on.

" _My dearest one, you've not to fear.  
_ " _Your bold words do astound me.  
_ " _But I've no need for mighty deeds,  
_ " _When I feel your arms around me."_

Snotlout inched the metronome to go faster, and Hiccup, feeling a lot less self conscious, went on with his part of the duet.

" _But I would bring you rings of gold,  
_ " _And even sing you poetry.  
_ " _I would keep you from all harm,  
_ " _If you would stay beside me."_

They were both smiling now, and in that moment, it seemed everything else disappeared, and it was just the two of them, together, singing. The song they'd been forced to sing they now sang willingly, joyously, and they sang it honestly, to each other.

Astrid took up her part of the song.

" _I have no use for rings of gold,  
_ " _I care not for your poetry.  
_ " _I only want your hand to hold…"_

Hiccup jumped in.

" _...I only want you near me_."

And together, they sang.

" _To love, to sing, to sweetly hold,  
_ " _For the dancing and the dreaming.  
_ " _Through all life's sorrows and delights,  
_ " _I'll keep your love inside me._

" _I'll swim and sail on savage seas,  
_ " _With ne'er a fear of drowning.  
_ " _And gladly ride the waves of life,  
_ " _If you'll journey with me!"_

The song ended there, and Hiccup and Astrid both burst out laughing, because neither had expected the song's outcome to be like _that_. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins clapped and cheered from behind the sound booth, and Snotlout shouted, "That was brilliant! I might do some more tuning with the words, but I think we got it down! Good job!"

Astrid hardly heard him. She stared at Hiccup, and for the first time, saw him in a different light.

From the moment he walked into Dragon's Edge HQ she thought he was handsome, but she hid it. Never told him. The more time she spent with him, the more she saw how brilliant he really was, how kind he was and, despite his puns and somewhat dry sense of humor, how great he was to be around.

His eyes lit up when he laughed. He was always willing to lend a helping hand. He never put his friends down, like Snotlout often did, and he listened instead of trying to be a know-it-all.

She'd always had somewhat of a subconscious feeling for him, but she didn't realize exactly what it was until now.

Now, she realized.

Realized that she loved him.

* * *

 **...And I did change the lyrics to the song a little bit. I'm sure at least some of you guys noticed. :)**


	21. Decisions Are Made

**Hello readers! :) So, I wanted to tell you, there isn't a lot of Valka and Hiccup bonding in this chapter. I wanted to establish something specifically, an important plot point that needs to be gotten out there, and then in the next chapter I'm going to do the came thing, but the chapter after THAT will be entirely founded on Hiccup and Valka bonding. :)**

 **And a specific shout-out to Gamer Spice, who was wondering whether or not their review came in. Yes, it did! :D Just wanted to let you know! :D I know what you mean, I think fanfiction's had a glitch lately, too, because I can't see the most recent reviews on my stories. But they still show up in my email, so I see them all. :D **

**Okay, that's it! :D I'm finally getting used to the way my braces feel! Yay! :D Enjoy chapter 21! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 21: DECISIONS ARE MADE**_

 **DAY: APRIL 16  
** **TIME: 10:40 AM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

 _BANG, BANG, BANG_.

By the sounds of it, Stoick had obviously forgotten the fact that he owned a pair of house keys and was resorting to banging on the door as loudly as he could. In fact, Hiccup wouldn't have been too surprised if Stoick followed it up with "OPEN UP OR I'LL BREAK DOWN THE DOOR! THIS IS THE POLICE!"

Stoick _also_ failed to realize that the door was indeed _unlocked_ from when Valka had come in earlier. Ah, it was just like Hiccup's father to miss out on the important details.

"Dad, the door's unlocked!" Hiccup hollered, cupping a hand around his mouth. Valka, once seated beside Hiccup on the couch, had rose to her feet. She kept looking around, almost as if she were looking for somewhere to escape to, but Toothless was still wary of her, his protective instincts deciding to watch her, just to be safe, and Hiccup knew if his mother tried leaving, Toothless wouldn't let her without Hiccup's consent.

Stoick barreled through the doorway, still in police uniform, and he looked around wildly as if expecting to see a thief, or maybe even Drago Bludvist himself, in his livingroom. His eyes found Hiccup when he saw nothing unusual (he had yet to notice Valka), and he stepped forward, taking Hiccup by the shoulders.

"What is it?" Stoick demanded; his grip was stronger than Hiccup would have liked, but Hiccup didn't mind. His father probably thought the grip was gentle. "What's wrong, what happe-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

He'd raised his head, and his eyes found Valka. Stoick froze. His grip on Hiccup's shoulders went slack, and Hiccup finally managed to jerk away and duck past his father, so that he no longer stood between his parents. Toothless pranced around the couch and joined Hiccup quickly, and the two watched, waiting for the scene to unfold.

For the longest moment, neither Valka nor Stoick moved. Neither spoke. The longer the silence went on, the more awkward and uncomfortable it became.

Valka swallowed hard and broke eye contact.

"I know what you're going to say, Stoick," she said quietly, and it took Hiccup a few moments before he registered what she'd said. "How could I have done this to you? How could I have lied, how could I have stayed away for all these years…"

Hiccup looked from Valka to his father. Stoick looked as, well, _stoic_ as he always did, and Hiccup wished for once he knew exactly what his father was thinking. He couldn't actually decide whose side of the argument he would be on - anger vs. understanding. It was hard to decide.

"But you have to understand," said Valka desperately. "I...I never wanted to leave. I never wanted to fake my death. I did it for your safety, for _Hiccup's_ safety."

Stoick took a step forward. Valka shrunk back.

"You know I was working on the case for Drago Bludvist," said Valka. "And I knew he might try to use me to get to you, if he thought you were alive. He'd hurt you or kill you both to make me give up, or to draw me out to kill me. And I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if something happened to you because of my choice!"

Dang. Hiccup looked at Stoick, waiting for his father to say _something_ , but Stoick still didn't speak. He took another step forward, and this time, Valka didn't move back.

"Hate me if you want," said Valka. "Do _whatever_ you want. Frame me. Arrest me. Leave me. I needed you to know. I couldn't live lying anymore. I needed you _both_ to know the truth. I _am_ alive."

She sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

" _SAY SOMETHING, STOICK!"_ she finally shrieked, desperate. _"PLEASE SAY SOMETHING! ANYTHING! I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS!"_

And just like that, Valka's dam finally broke, and she buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking, tears wetting her palms.

Now the tension was _really_ killing Hiccup. For a brief moment he considered leaving the room and giving his mom and dad some privacy, but in the end, his curiosity would never let him do that. The suspense was eating at his mind, and he found himself glued in place, unable to move.

Stoick closed the distance between himself and Valka and, gently, took Valka's hands in his. He pulled them away from her face, and Valka sobbed dryly, shutting her eyes.

"Valka," said Stoick, and for once, his voice cracked. "...Is it really you?"

Valka opened her eyes, stared at him, and then nodded shakily.

Stoick continued to stare, unbelieving, not unlike what Hiccup had done after first seeing Valka, and then...Stoick smiled warmly.

"...You're as beautiful as the day I lost you," he whispered.

Valka gasped quietly and shut her eyes again. Stoick leaned in closer.

Their lips met.

Hiccup released a breath he didn't know he was holding and resisted the urge to applaud.

…

 **DAY: APRIL 16  
** **TIME: 11:02 AM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

"How on earth did you know how to find us, Valka?" Stoick inquired; he and his wife were sitting on the couch, and Hiccup sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of them both. Valka had told Stoick the same thing she had told Hiccup; the truth behind her disappearance, and the lie behind her death.

"I requested to keep an eye on you," said Valka, "and to be relocated should you move. When you moved out of Colorado, I was relocated to another much smaller Sanctuary here in Berk."

"That...makes a lot of sense," said Hiccup.

Valka nodded. "I've been waiting to meet you both, waiting to reveal myself," she said, and this time, it was directed to Stoick. "But I just never found the right time, up until now…"

"That doesn't matter anymore, Val," said Stoick, taking her hands again. "All that matters now is that we're together again. We're a family."

Valka nodded, looking loads happier than she had when first walking into the Haddock residence. "And now," said Valka, "we can work together to bring Drago to justice."

Stoick hesitated, but nodded. "Aye," he said, "as long as you leave the danger to me."

Valka shook her head. "Not a chance," she said. "We'll do it together, like we always did."

It took a few moments, but Stoick finally conceded. "Alright," he said. "Together."

Amidst their conversation, they didn't catch Hiccup's frown, nor did he catch the longing look he directed towards the door.

…

 **DAY: APRIL 16  
** **TIME: 9:08 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

"Hey, Hiccup! What took you so long?" said Snotlout impatiently, as Hiccup stormed into Dragon's Edge HQ, backpack slung over his shoulder. Tuffnut and Ruffnut surged forward excitedly.

"Did you finish the paper, huh?" asked Tuffnut, grinning, holding out his hands.

"No, I didn't," said Hiccup. "Look, guys, there's something I need to-"

"Aww, come on, no fair!" moaned Tuffnut, spinning on his heel and stomping on the other foot. "We've been waiting for hours! You said you'd bring it by in the afternoon, and you _didn't! Ruuuuude!"_

"Tuffnut, please, let me talk-" Hiccup tried.

"Well, tell me you _at least_ looked over that song I sent you," said Snotlout dryly, raising his eyes.

This was all going terribly. "No!" Hiccup snapped. "I didn't! I didn't have time to-"

"What were you doing then, Hiccup?" asked Snotlout suspiciously. "You aren't trying to pull out of the band, are you?"

"What? _What?_ Are you kidding me, _what?"_ blurted Hiccup. "Just listen to me for five minutes, please!"

"Okay, you idiots, shut up," said Astrid to Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs, though Fishlegs hadn't said anything (yet). She got to her feet and made her way over to Hiccup. "What do you want to tell us?"

"Just...keep it down," said Hiccup. "My dad doesn't know I'm here, and…" Here goes. "Neither does my mom."

Snotlout was the first to react. "Ha!" he said. "Not to be blatant or anything, Drummer Boy, but didn't you tell all of us your mom was dead?"

"Snotlout!" said Fishlegs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Talk about inconsiderate!"

"Hey, he's right!" said Tuffnut.

"Thank you!" said Fishlegs.

"No, I was talking about Snotlout," said Tuffnut, frowning.

"Never mind!" said Fishlegs.

"That's the thing," said Hiccup. "My mom actually isn't dead."

There was a beat.

And then,

 _"WHAT!?"_ blurted Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Astrid at the same time.

Hiccup told them everything that had transpired since the afternoon he'd promised Tuffnut and Ruffnut he'd help them with their research essay, and his friends listened closely. When Hiccup had finished the story, he sat back and watched, waiting for their reactions.

"...Dude," said Tuffnut finally, putting up his hands, "your dad's the Chief of Police and your mom works in some crazy secret society dedicated to finding this evil serial killer. Your family is awesome, man."

"But this is serious, isn't it?" said Fishlegs. "If there's an entire secret society dedicated to finding Drago, then Drago must be a bigger threat than the public realizes."

"Look," said Hiccup, putting his hands together, "the reason I wanted to tell you this is because...well...I'm going to try to find Drago."

Snotlout fell backwards off the couch - the twins keeled over, they were laughing so hard - Fishlegs gasped in horror - even Astrid looked unnerved.

Once again, a long, unison _"WHAT!?"_ rang throughout the group. The twins had gotten over their laughter once they realized Hiccup wasn't joking.

"You mean you're _serious?"_ said Snotlout.

"Dead serious," said Hiccup.

"Exactly!" shrieked Fishlegs in horror. "That's what you'll be if you go after Drago! _Dead!_ Why would you even _think_ about doing something like that!?"

 _"Because Drago destroyed my family!"_ Hiccup yelled, finally reaching the end of his rope. "Drago is the reason my mom faked her death! Drago is the reason my dad became a policeman! Drago is the reason my dad ended up with a bullet in his chest, and it's not just my family he's affected, it's everyone's!"

The rest of the group had become silent, listening.

"Haven't you realized it!?" said Hiccup. "Parents have started walking their kids to school, have stopped letting their kids play outside alone. People have stopped trusting each other for fear Drago would make them a target should he discover them. Drago is influencing nothing but fear and disaster, and at this point, even the _police_ fear action. No...scratch that! They fear _death!"_

Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins exchanged glances.

"And I don't care what you guys think of me," said Hiccup, finally getting ahold of himself, "but whatever you do, don't tell anyone about this. I'm going to do my own research, on my own, and nothing you can say can stop me."

He waited for their reaction.

Finally, Astrid spoke.

"Who said anything about 'stopping' you?" she asked, frowning. Hiccup looked up at her. "We're going to help you, Hiccup," said Astrid. "Or, at least _I_ am."

"Yeah!" said Snotlout. "We'll help you with whatever we can, Hiccup! Whether it's transportation, a pat on the back, a smack in the face...you can count on us!"

"We're in, too!" said Tuffnut, and Ruffnut stepped up beside him. "If you're going to hunt a serial killer, we want to be in on it!"

"And I'll come too," said Fishlegs, somewhat reluctantly. "Who knows, maybe you'll need me."

Hiccup couldn't help it; he smiled, bigger than he'd smiled in a long time. "Thank you," he said. "I'll start looking for evidence and let you know what I find. Are we rehearsing tomorrow?"

"You bet we are," said Snotlout, grinning. "And you'd better not be late this time, Drummer Boy."

"I won't be," said Hiccup.


	22. Finding Grounds for Answers

**Hey everyone! :D Thanks for all the support you've been giving me! It makes me want to keep writing. :) Anyways, this chapter is basically more plot, and the next chapter after this will have some Hiccup and Valka bonding, and then I think I'll do a few fun chapters (like, the gang playing at a beach party, more musical puns, lots of Ruffnut and Tuffnut - that sort of thing). :D**

 **Anyways, let me know what you think! :D Enjoy chapter 22! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 22: FINDING GROUNDS FOR ANSWERS**_

 **DAY: APRIL 18  
** **TIME: 2:13 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

Ruffnut threw her copy of _Berk Weekly_ across the coffee table. "Get a load of this," she said, pointing to the headline. "Looks like ol' Dargo Bloddyfist has struck again."

Snotlout, sitting beside Ruffnut on the couch, snatched up the newspaper and examined the headline. "'Mass murderer Drago Bludvist appears to several witnesses.'"

Astrid popped her bubblegum between her teeth and frowned. "I read that article this morning when it was fresh off the press," she said. "It's strange. You'd think a murderer like Drago wouldn't just appear in public like that and not have a reason behind it."

"I think he had _plenty_ of reasons behind it, you know?" said Tuffnut, standing behind the couch and leaning to look over Snotlout's shoulder at the newspaper. "I mean, everyone knows he's out there and dangerous. Maybe he appeared to the witnesses just to mess with their heads, make them panic."

"Are we _not_ panicking?" said Fishlegs, rubbing his hands together, sounding close to hysterics, to no one's surprise. "I mean, who here _isn't_ panicking?"

"Hey, I'm not!" said Tuffnut.

"I meant someone _intelligent_ ," said Fishlegs.

"Oh, nevermind, then," said Tuffnut. Then, he paused. "Hey! I'm intelligent!"

"Oh, don't worry, dude," said Snotlout. "Your intellect nearly surpasses that of a cantaloupe. Anyways," he folded his hands, giving Tuffnut something to ponder over, "chances are, that's exactly what Drago was trying to do. The more I think about it, the more I think there _had_ to have been a reason behind his showing up."

"Exactly!" said Ruffnut. "Like Tuffnut said. He's trying to strike fear into the people! It will only be a matter of time before he moves to the authorities! Once the people are terrified, it ain't hard to shock those in higher power."

"I hate to admit it," said Astrid, "but she's got a point."

"A cantaloupe..." said Tuffnut to himself, frowning, thinking, scratching his chin. "Huh…"

"Hiccup's dad is the Chief of police, isn't he?" said Snotlout. "We could ask Hiccup if the police have any idea where Drago fled after being spotted by the witnesses."

"Hey," said Fishlegs, looking around. "Speaking of which, where is Hiccup?"

As if on cue, Hiccup barged through the doorway, the border collie Toothless hot on his heels, and Hiccup's silver laptop held under his arm. "Afternoon," he said. "Did you guys read the paper?"

Ruffnut snatched _Berk Weekly_ from Snotlout's hand and waved it over her head like a flag. "We've been talking about it all afternoon," she said. "It's been so boring, you know?"

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that it shouldn't be boring for much longer," said Hiccup, sitting between Astrid and Fishlegs on the opposite couch, setting his laptop on his legs and flipping it open.

"Why?" asked Tuffnut, moving over to investigate, tailed by Snotlout and Ruffnut; Astrid and Fishlegs leaned in closer.

"I was doing some research yesterday," said Hiccup, mousing over a folder on his desktop and clicking it. A password protection notification popped up, and Hiccup tapped in the fifteen-plus digit password to access the folder. The folder opened up into dozens of sub-folders, each titled by numbers in seemingly random order.

"Whoa," said Tuffnut. "No _way_. These look like prison numbers!"

"They _are_ prison numbers, Tuffnut," said Hiccup flatly.

"Oh," said Tuffnut, and then, _"Oooooh!"_

"No flippin' way!" gasped Snotlout, grinning. "Is Drago's file somewhere on there?"

Hiccup shook his head. "These files aren't recent," said Hiccup, mousing over one of the many, many folders. "See the date on this? Five years ago. That's one of the more recent ones. These are all the criminal files submitted between the years two-thousand and two-thousand-ten. They don't have any information on Drago Bludvist himself, but there are a lot of other criminals here I think could help us find more about Drago."

"How the heck did you get these, Hiccup?" said Snotlout, voice still full of admiration. "I searched the internet for hours yesterday, I couldn't find squat!"

"I got these off my dad's computer at the police department downtown last night," said Hiccup, scrolling through the folders, looking for one in particular.

Fishlegs gulped. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Well, _technically_ , I suppose it would be," said Hiccup, shoulders slumping, "but I asked my dad for permission. All the files are heavily protected, it wouldn't have been possible for me to hack into it."

"Dude, my respect for you just went from ten to seventy," said Snotlout, throwing his hands above his head. "How'd you get your dad to give in? He wouldn't have given them to you if he knew you were going to be using them on Drago Bludvist's case."

"I told him I was interested in the files of past convicts," said Hiccup, mousing over one particular file and clicking it; he typed in another password and opened the folder to view several more documents. "I said I was interested in becoming a detective and was curious as to the infamous crimes of past cases."

"And he bought it?" said Astrid.

"Well, I wasn't lying," said Hiccup. "I _am_ interested in becoming a detective."

"I'm impressed," said Ruffnut, reaching over and smacking Hiccup on the shoulder. "Good job, drummer boy."

"Thanks, Ruff," said Hiccup, "but this alone doesn't help us with Drago's case." He shifted, clicked another file, tapped in the password. The others leaned in for a closer look. "I was up all night trying to find something that could tie us to Drago," he said.

"Why do you think criminals from ten years ago would have any tie with the mass murderer of today?" inquired Astrid.

"Well, I did some more research," said Hiccup, tapping away at his keyboard, pushing past password after password after password. "And I figured out that back in the day, there were a lot of criminal conferences held in reclusive locations hardly anyone knew about."

"Why would they do _that?"_ said Ruffnut, frowning.

"Because some criminals had information that other criminals needed," said Hiccup matter of factly. "These conferences would be like a trading post. Like the swap meet of information for criminals, especially those on the run."

"Hey, that's not a bad point," said Fishlegs, catching on.

"You think Drago might have run into one of the prisoners on your files?" said Snotlout, pointing at Hiccup's laptop screen.

"Yes," said Hiccup. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. I did some more research and I found something interesting." He pulled up a picture and held his laptop up. "Take a look."

It was a mugshot of a burly man with a scraggly beard, lots of crazy hair, and a scowl so dark and big it was hard to see his eyes. His arms were nearly covered in tattoos, and his snarl showed several yellowed, crooked teeth.

"Yeesh," said Ruffnut, reeling back. "I would _not_ want to be that guy."

"His name is Alvin," said Hiccup, circling his mouse over the convict's name. "He calls himself Alvin the Treacherous, and when he was brought in for questioning, he said the name was earned-"

" _Alvin?"_ said Tuffnut, sniggering. "How'd he earn _that?"_

"Tuffnut, do shut up," said Astrid.

"Alvin the Treacherous was found by police officers numerous times on numerous occasions," said Hiccup, closing out of the mugshot and pulling up a file. "But they never had enough evidence, so he evaded conviction like it was a hobby. He was finally caught, as you can see here-" He highlighted part of the file with his cursor, "-and served six months in prison for the robbing of a corner store down the street. After he was released, he kept his stage name 'Treacherous' and kept avoiding custody."

"So what you're saying is this dude's the real deal," said Snotlout. "Criminal, I mean. Worse than Dagur the Deranged?"

"As far as crimes go, I'm not sure about _that_ , Snotlout," said Hiccup, "but in a way, you're right. Dagur and Alvin have both committed serious calamities. The only difference between them…"

"Dagur's been convicted," said Fishlegs, eagerly. "Dagur's been caught every time. Alvin was only caught once."

Hiccup nodded. "I have reason to believe Drago and Alvin met at some point," said Hiccup. "They work similarly, evading prison and, if there _is_ evidence against them, getting rid of it before the authorities find it. But both Alvin and Drago have one thing in common, and that's... _this_."

He pulled up another picture, this one from a file that wasn't Alvin's. This one was of a 6-bullet revolver, old, definitely over a few decades old and not well cared for.

"This revolver," said Hiccup, "was said to have been used by Drago Bludvist, because it had Drago's trademark insignia on the bullet. Despite the fact the authorities think the gun was Drago's, I have reason to believe it was actually Alvin's."

He pulled up another picture, this one from, once again, Alvin's file, and of a gun sharing startling resemblance to that of the first picture.

"In 2009," said Hiccup, "a small, independent hardware store was robbed. The robber wore a mask and gloves, so there were no fingerprints and no way to recognize who the robber was. When the police showed up, he dropped the gun and ran. He wasn't caught, but the gun was confiscated and brought in for examination. The gun shared resemblance to a picture of Drago's gun taken on a previous case, and the authorities assumed that Drago was the one behind the robbery."

"Okay," said Snotlout, "but judging by your tone of voice, and the fact you said 'assumed' just now, I'm guessing you don't think it was Drago, do you?"

"No, I don't," said Hiccup. "Drago has always been very careful. He never made a move unless it was for a purpose. However, the robber of the store went in, was seen, and ran. Nothing was stolen, and no one was hurt."

"Hey, you're right," said Tuffnut. "For a serial killer like Drago, that's a strange move."

"Yes," said Hiccup, nodding. "My thoughts exactly. Which is why I looked into Alvin the Treacherous' file a little more and figured out that the only crimes he ever committed had to do with thievery. He brought guns with him as a last resort, but there was no records of him actually killing anyone, or firing the gun at all."

"Oh, I see!" said Astrid. "You're thinking that it was actually Alvin behind that hardware store robbery, and that somewhere beforehand, he met Drago Bludvist, and exchanged information Drago needed for the gun."

"That's _exactly_ what I was thinking," said Hiccup. "Which would mean Alvin has not only met Drago before-"

"-But he also gave Drago information," said Fishlegs, and now, he was more excited than ever. "Which means he must have some idea as to what Drago's planning! Hiccup, that's brilliant! I don't know how you figured all of that out!"

Hiccup sighed and bit his lip. "It's a long shot, actually," he said, "and there's a chance Alvin and Drago never met each other in the first place. But...if they did…I think Alvin could have some information that could eventually lead to Drago's imprisonment."

"Hey, whether or not your theory is true, Sherlock," said Snotlout, throwing up his hands, "you did some crazy detective work there. If I were a criminal, I wouldn't want _you_ working on my cases."

"Thanks," said Hiccup, and then, he frowned. "I think…?"

"The only problem is," said Fishlegs, "no one actually knows where Alvin the Treacherous hasn't been anything on TV about him lately. I don't know how we'd ever be able to bring him in for questioning-"

"Ahh, now _that_ is where you're wrong, Sir Guppylegs," said Ruffnut, flicking Fishlegs' nose.

The others stared at her, questioningly. Ruffnut groaned loudly and smacked a palm to her forehead. "You guys _seriously_ need to read the whole of _Berk Weekly_. Check this out."

She grabbed the newspaper off the table and flipped to the correct page. Hiccup took it from her, eyes scanning the small article. It was placed just so that anyone skimming for important news wouldn't see, but someone like Ruffnut, who loved picking up all the stories she could for gossiping purposes, would catch it instantly.

"'New club opening on July tenth,'" Hiccup read. "' _The Outcasts_. Owned by Alvin T. Dragonskin."

"Dragonskin?" said Tuffnut, mouth agape. " _Awesome_ name!"

"It's probably another stage name," said Hiccup. "And I'll bet you anything that T stands for Treacherous."

"Brilliant!" said Snotlout. "So now we know where to find Alvin!"

"Yeah," said Hiccup, and he continued reading. "'Anyone under the age of twenty one will not be admitted.'"

"We're old enough," said Astrid. "We're good."

"But how do you plan to get us _in_ the Outcast, Hiccup?" asked Fishlegs nervously. "Isn't it going to look weird? I mean, Alvin's a criminal, isn't he? I bet the Outcast is just crawling with people like him. There's no way a bunch of people like us will fit in without drawing attention to ourselves."

Hiccup grinned and held up the newspaper again. "I know exactly how to get us in," he said.

The others looked at the end of the article:

 _Band wanted for Friday and Saturday nights._

"Oh no!" gasped Fishlegs, throwing his hands in the air.

"Oh _yes!"_ said Snotlout, fist-pumping.


	23. Merry Christmas, Here's to Many More

**YOU GUYS! HI! I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH!**

 **IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I UPDATED THIS STORY AND I'M SO SORRY I JUST LOST INSPIRATION BUT THEN I REMEMBERED HOW MUCH I LOVED YOU ALL AND I WROTE THIS CHAPTER AS A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH I AM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING LIKE I DID I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PLEASE ENJOY THE CHAPTER! :D :D :D :D :D I LOVE YOU!**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 23: MERRY CHRISTMAS, HERE'S TO MANY MORE**_

 **DAY: DECEMBER 24  
** **TIME: 6:03 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

"Again!"

 _"NO!"_ Snotlout shrieked, lunging across the couch and swiping the remote from Tuffnut's hand. "We are _not_ watching this movie again!"

"But it's a _classic!"_ moaned Tuffnut, leaning back on the couch, fake-pouting. "I mean, who _doesn't_ like the story of a little outcast reindeer with a bright red nose who eventually-"

"Yeah, sorry, dude," said Hiccup, shaking his head, "but if I hear that song, one more time, I think I'm going to explode."

Ruffnut grinned. And then, she sang in an off-pitched, raspy voice, _"Rudolf the red-nosed-"_

Hiccup responded by pulling his headphones from the armrest and settling them around his ears.

The atmosphere was definitely out of the norm; the twins had hung holly and lights around the soundbooth at Dragon's Edge HQ, and Ruffnut and Astrid managed to string some more lights around the roof. The instruments were aside; the group had decided against practicing for now and instead focusing on the festivities of the holidays.

"Okay, so we won't watch Rudolf again," said Tuffnut, flicking through channels, "but there's a re-run of White Christmas-"

"We watched that yesterday!" said Snotlout, never relinquishing his hold on the remote. "We aren't watching it again!"

"Aww, come on!" Tuffnut lunged, trying to forcefully yank the remote from Snotlout. Snotlout, in return, held the remote higher over his head. "Where's your holiday spirit Snottyface?"

"Not within the TV set!" said Snotlout, and he hurled the remote across the room, towards Fishlegs, who reached and snatched it from the air. Tuffnut covered his face with his hands, groaning in disappointment.

"You. Guys. Are. No. Fun."

"You have no taste, Tuffnut, no taste!" said Snotlout, frowning, shaking his head.

"Well, on the bright side," said Fishlegs, shoving the remote into a drawer and locking it in, "Astrid's promised to grab eggnog on her way back from the music shop. She should be here any minute."

"Until then," said Snotlout, "I had some stuff I wanted to go over with you guys. Anyways…" He looked up. Hiccup still had his headphones around his head, fiddling with the button of his jacket.

Snotlout frowned. "Someone smack Hiccup for me, alright?"

"With pleasure," said Tuffnut, and he reached over, slapping Hiccup upside the head.

"Yowch!" Hiccup objected, yanking his headphones from his ears and glaring at Tuffnut dangerously. "What the heck, Tuffnut?"

"You couldn't hear us with your headphones in," said Tuffnut. "We needed to get your attention."

Hiccup raised a hand threateningly, and Tuffnut, cackling, danced off the couch and out of the room.

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "We don't need him anyway," he said. "He's just the sound manager. Anyways, I was thinking about doing a cover of that old song, 'All I Want for Christmas is You.'"

Ruffnut laughed, choked on saliva, and continued laughing and coughing at different intervals. "You can't be serious, Snotlout," she said. " _That_ song?"

Snotlout frowned. "What's wrong with the song?"

"Nothing," said Ruffnut, leaning back. "It's just not our style. We're all drums and guitar and bass and that song's all...pop."

"That's why I said we'd do our own _cover_ of it!" said Snotlout. "Fishlegs can play the intro on keyboards, and we'll do a rock version of it!"

"A rock version of a pop song?" said Fishlegs. "You know, Snotlout, I normally tend to disagree with you, but that's...not a bad idea. I think we could pull it off if we tried hard enough. What do you think, Hiccup? Sounds like a good idea?"

"I have no objections," said Hiccup. "I think it could be fun to do something for Christmas."

"Then it's settled!" said Snotlout. "When Astrid gets back we'll tell her our idea. I already ordered sheets from the music shop - that's what Astrid's picking up right now. She should be back any second."

As if on cue, the door opened, and in stepped Astrid, bags hanging from her arms. She was wearing her usual spiked leather jacket and headband, but this time, her choke chain had tiny silver bells on them.

She was humming under her breath, using her foot to shut the door behind her. "Makin' my way downtown," she hummed to herself. "Walkin' fast…"

"Hey, babe!" called Snotlout from across the room, and Astrid looked; he was pointing upwards at a piece of mistletoe hung over the doorframe.

Astrid frowned at him, bemused. Then, she strode across the room, right passed him. "Walkin' _faster_ …"

"Hey!" Snotlout protested, but Astrid, and everyone else, ignored him entirely.

"Welcome back, Astrid!" Fishlegs cheered, and Toothless barked happily in agreement.

"Did you get the eggnog? Didja? Didja?" Ruffnut said excitedly, practically jumping over the side of the couch to get to Astrid.

"Yes, I did," said Astrid, setting her bags on a nearby amplifier. As soon as they were down, Ruffnut snatched the carton of eggnog from the bag and raced from the room, shouting, "Mission accomplished, Tuffnut! Mission accomplished!"

Everyone else watched her, deadpan. "Should we stop her…?" Fishlegs said uncertainly, pointing dumbly to where she had disappeared.

Astrid shook her head. "I figured the twins would do that," she said, "so I got two cartons." As she spoke, she pulled a second - bigger - thing of eggnog from the bag and set it down. "This can be ours. Let the twins have the little one."

"Great!" said Hiccup. "So, we've got the eggnog, we've got the sheet music...looks like we're all set up!"

Toothless barked his agreement.

Snotlout, meanwhile, surveyed the room with a hand on his chin. "You know," he said, "I still feel like we're missing something...something important…"

"Like what?" asked Fishlegs.

Snotlout perked up, snapping his fingers. "Aha!" he said, making everyone jump. "I've got it! A tree! We need a Christmas tree!"

"A tree," said Astrid to clarify, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where are we going to get a tree this close to Christmas day?"

"Yeah," said Fishlegs, frowning. "It's a great idea, Snotlout, but I just don't know how we're going to manage that…"

"There's one place we could look!" said Snotlout, insistent. "Last year, this lot was open all the way to New Years. It's open this year, so it should still be up!"

Hiccup bit his lip. "Well, yeah, but-"

"Hiccup!" shouted Snotlout, swinging his arm to point his finger at said drummer; Hiccup snapped to attention, and even Toothless jumped. "You and Astrid will go get the tree!"

"What? No!" Astrid protested. "I just got back from outside! You are _not_ making me go out again!"

"Come on, Astrid!" Snotlout pleaded. "I need to stay here and finish looking over the sheet music, and the twins are virtually useless!"

"We can still hear you, you know!" Ruffnut's voice shouted from their storage room, but she was ignored.

"What about Fishlegs?" Astrid said. "Fishlegs can go with Hiccup."

"Fishlegs is…" Snotlout began, and then, he looked over his shoulder at said boy. "He's _Fishlegs!"_ Snotlout finished when he didn't have a better argument.

Astrid frowned, putting a hand on her hip. "You're not going to say no to this, are you?"

"Nope."

Astrid finally relented. "Fine," she said, "but don't expect any favors from me after this." While Hiccup grabbed his coat and a scarf, Astrid, still wearing her warmer clothes from earlier, headed to the door. Once Hiccup was ready, they headed out.

…

 **DAY: DECEMBER 24  
** **TIME: 6:13 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

The streets were filled with men, women and children, all dressed in warm, winter clothes and making their way down the sidewalks. The streetlamps were decorated, and the shop windows were bright, a stark contrast to the dark sky. Snow fell from white clouds overhead, and a group of carolers sang "O Come All Ye Faithful" in front of a candy shop.

"So, where's this tree lot?" Astrid finally asked Hiccup, shoving her hands into her pockets to keep them from freezing.

Hiccup shrugged, pulled his iPhone from his pocket, and scrolled through his messages. "He texted me directions," he said, "but they're kind of...scattered."

"That's Snotlout for you," said Astrid, tossing her head. "What an idiot…"

It took them a lot longer than they'd hoped, but they finally found the tree lot Snotlout had described, and once they did, they started their search for the proper tree.

This also took them a lot longer than they'd hoped.

"This one's really dry," Astrid commented, feeling the branches of one tree. "I don't think it's a good idea to get this one, especially with the twins. They'd probably end up setting it on fire."

"This one here's too big," Hiccup said. "I think a smaller tree would be a better idea…"

It took what felt like an eternity, but they finally found a small, suitable tree just perfect for the Edge. They paid the lot's owner and headed off down the street, carrying the small tree between them. The carolers now sang "Christmas Time is Here."

…

 **DAY: DECEMBER 24  
** **TIME: 7:07 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

"We're back!" Hiccup shouted as he and Astrid came through the doors, pulling the tree with them. They set it down in the corner of the room and took a deep breath in relief.

"Remind me again why we didn't bring the van?" said Astrid, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "It's like thirty degrees outside and I'm _sweating_. I'm going to kill Snotlout next time I see him…"

"Hey! Can I get a little help over here!?"

Speaking of whom, Astrid and Hiccup turned their heads at the sound of Snotlout's voice, and when their eyes fell on their band leader, they frowned, confused.

"Um...Snotlout?" Hiccup said.

Snotlout was sitting on one of their wooden chairs, bound to it by at least ten strands of Christmas lights, which were lit up and twinkling brightly. Snotlout was struggling, trying to pull himself free.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Snotlout said. "The twins tied me up! Come on, help me out!"

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, shared a silent exchange of words, and then nodded, turning back to look at Snotlout.

"I think this is perfect," said Hiccup, putting a hand to his chin, trying to hold back his laughter with all he was worth. "We could hang the ornaments on him…"

"Put a little star on his head…" commented Astrid with a fiendish grin.

"OY!" Snotlout protested. "That's what the tree is for! Get me out of here! GET ME OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!"

"Should we help him, really?" Hiccup asked Astrid, as Snotlout continued screaming and yelling.

"GUYS! THIS ISN'T FUNNY, COME ON!"

"Probably," said Astrid, nodding her agreement, though she didn't avert her eyes from the pathetic sight before her, "in a little bit…"

"JERKS!"

...

 **DAY: DECEMBER 24  
** **TIME: 8:27 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

The rest of the night was spent peacefully. Despite everyone's protests, they ended up watching _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ at least another twenty times, while occasionally sipping on eggnog. Their tree was decorated, the Christmas lights were up while the other lights were down, and Astrid had successfully thrown out all mistletoe Snotlout set up (much to Snotlout's disdain).

Everything was as it should have been.

Until…

"OKAY, WHO SPIKED THE EGGNOG!?"

As Snotlout's furious shout echoed throughout the room, Ruffnut and Tuffnut's laughter began.

* * *

 **So, I'm not entirely sure when the next update on this story will be, but hopefully it won't be three quarters of a year again. I really hadn't meant to wait this long to update, but the plot bunnies kept running past me, so...I'm sorry guys. :( I'm probably going to write a few fun filler chapters before getting back to the main Drago Bludvist timeline, so we'll see how it goes.**

 **Oh, and btw, did I ever tell you which song inspired this fanfiction's title? Well, the song is** _ **The Phoenix**_ **by Fall Out Boy. Oh, and if you guys want to listen to a hard-rock version of** _ **All I Want For Christmas is You**_ **, look up said song by the artist** _ **My Chemical Romance**_ **. I listen to it all the time. :D And one final fun song - the song that inspired that ending line - is _Who Spiked the Eggnog?_ by Straight No Chaser. :D**

 **OH, AND TWO FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS: You guys, if you haven't already, TOTALLY need to listen to Relient K's Christmas album (called "Let it Snow, Baby...Let it Reindeer) and Falling Up's Christmas album (called "Silver City"). THESE ARE MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS ALBUMS AND I WANT YOU GUYS TO EXPERIENCE IT! :D :D :D :D :D My all-time favorite Christmas song is "Peppermint Winter" by Owl City.**

 **Sorry I just love Christmas music so much. XD**

 **Anyways, I really, really,** _ **really**_ **love you guys! I never want you to forget that, okay? One of the main reasons I got back to writing this story was because of how much I missed you all. I love you guys to bits and Merry Christmas! :D :D :D**


	24. A Family Again

**EVERYBODY! HI! *waves hands above head back and forth* How have you all been doing? I know it's been too long and I'm so sorrrrrry but I've been dealing with quite a bit of really suck-y life stuff so I mean...**

 **Well I got sick for a couple of weeks and being sick always triggers my headaches big time so I've been dealing with migraines to boot and then I went to the dentist right after recovering and apparently they have to lazer some of my gums out because I've got too much gum in the back of my mouth and so that's happening soon and my school workload is piling up (except for my history which I've done really really well on so far) and so in general life has been kinda harsh and irritating but I mean hey that's life and I don't want to sound like I'm complaining because I know there are people who have it worse than me and I'm sorry for you guys and I love you all and I'm sorry for this long rant.**

 ***GASPS* Okay if that was actually me talking that would have all been done in one breath. I'm done now. Rant over. :P Anyways, I don't know if anyone would _care_ , really, but I'm really into Haikyuu! right now (yeah the volleyball anime that's right) so there's that. I really don't know anybody else in the Haikyuu! fandom sooooo...I just wanted to see if I've got any followers who are into it because I'm kinda feelin' all alone right now. XD**

 **Anyways I love you guys all SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH I MEAN WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU GUYS AND I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED SOONER BECAUSE I THINK YOU GUYS DESERVE MORE UPDATES AND I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT AND I'M SORRY!**

 **I LOVE YOU GUYS A WHOLE LOT AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS NEXT INSTALLMENT! :D**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 23: A FAMILY AGAIN**_

 **DAY: APRIL 19  
** **TIME: 12:03 AM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

Hiccup was walking home from Dragon's Edge HQ.

It was something he was used to doing, frankly, ever since he started high school a few years back. With his father working late nights at the police office, Hiccup didn't get a whole lot of time with him. The only living, breathing thing he spent more than a few hours with every day was Toothless.

Toothless was currently walking by Hiccup's side, looking up at Hiccup with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Hiccup occasionally looked down at him, offered him a smile, and then continued walking.

It was night. Well, actually, no. Technically, it was morning. 12:04 in the morning right now, Hiccup realized, looking down at his watch.

Making preparations with the gang had been a lot harder than he thought, and it took a lot longer than he had ever hoped, too. The phone number to the Outcast club was found at the bottom of the ad, and Snotlout had phoned them.

"Oh, yeah, we're all over twenty one, so we're good," Snotlout had said to the receiver, twirling a piece of hair around his finger idly. "So, we've got our own equipment, trailer...what? Yeah. We have an amazing singer-"

"Prideful much, Snotlout?" Fishlegs had said, crossing his arms.

Snotlout had stuck his tongue out and kept on with the call.

In the end, everything was arranged; the Dragon's Edge would start playing at the Outcast over the weekends, and they'd each get paid some, not that payment was the reason they were doing it.

"I'm gonna see if I can dig up any seventies or eighties hits, or whatever," Snotlout had told him as Hiccup headed out with Toothless. "I'll send you guys a list as soon as I make one up and we'll start rehearsing ASAP."

Toothless barked, breaking Hiccup from his thoughts, and Hiccup shook his head, reaching down to scratch the dog behind the ears. "You never give up, do you, Toothless?" he said.

Toothless whined and barked again in what could only be agreement.

"Well, whatever, you big baby. You're spoiled rotten anyways."

Hiccup smiled, then raised his head to make sure he wasn't about to run into anything, like a lamp post or a telephone pole (he'd run into both of those on previous occasions, and it wasn't something he was too keen on repeating).

His smile faded soon after, melting into a look of confusion. Walking towards him (and Hiccup could only see who it was due to the light of a nearby lamp post), was none other than his mother, Valka.

Hiccup swallowed. He'd never get over the fact this woman was his mother, after so long of thinking she was dead.

She paused when she saw him, and they stood, each beside a lamp post, spaced fifteen feet apart. Toothless sat down beside Hiccup, tilting his head at Valka, and then at Hiccup in confusion.

"Um...hi," said Hiccup, raising a hand and waving awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to say. "Um...what are you doing out here…?"

Valka brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "It was late," she said. "Your father gave me directions to your little headquarters. I hear you're part of a band now? The drummer?"

"Erm, yeah," said Hiccup, walking forward again, scratching the back of his neck. "We call ourselves the Dragon's Edge. We're not much, but…" Well, better now than never. "...We got a gig at a club downtown, playing weekends."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

Valka nodded and smiled softly. "Good for you."

"Yeah…"

He swallowed. So did Valka. For a few moments there was nothing but silence, and then, after what felt like hours, Valka broke it.

"Well, we should get home," she said.

"Yeah," Hiccup said, for the third time, and he and his mother turned and headed back down the sidewalk, towards the A-frame log cabin that was their house.

"I'm glad for you," said Valka, as Hiccup flanked her, and Toothless flanked him. "It sounds like you're happy."

"I am," said Hiccup. _Am I?_ Honestly, he wasn't quite sure what he was feeling now. Joy wasn't the right word to describe it; not exactly. Sure, he was glad his mother was back, but he was also feeling a bit... _overwhelmed_ by the information.

The fact that he had a _mother_ , when for so long he'd thought she was _gone_ …

It was…

It was just a lot to take in. That's all. He wasn't quite sure _how_ he felt about her being back or _what_ emotion he should have been feeling. He wasn't angry, but he wasn't exactly happy. He wasn't exactly _anything_.

"Well...that's good," said Valka, and Hiccup was broken from his thoughts. He was certain that his mother was feeling just as awkward as he was. Maybe not quite as undecided, but still awkward.

Maybe awkwardness ran in the family or something, he didn't know.

He really didn't _know_ his mother, after all.

That was really the biggest thing. He didn't _know_ her. At _all_. He'd recognized her voice earlier, when she showed up at their house, of course, but that was something he'd dug up from a memory of his past. He didn't _know_ his mother.

He didn't know what she liked to do. What kinds of foods she liked. What was her favorite color? What were her hobbies? They were small things - petty things, perhaps - but still, it was uncharted territory for him.

He didn't _know_.

And he didn't know how he felt about not knowing, either.

His thoughts were once again cut short - they had reached their house. In the dark, the A-frame two-story log cabin looked almost like a mansion you'd see out of a horror movie, but to Hiccup, who'd lived in this house for years, it was perfectly distinguishable, even at night.

They were silent as they headed up the driveway, Toothless prancing at Hiccup's side, and finally through the front door of the abode. Hiccup flicked on the light by the front door, illuminating the house's entryway.

He wondered, vaguely, if his mother could pick out the house's light switches like he could in the dark, when he wasn't actually able to see them.

He shook his head. _That_ definitely didn't matter, but he was still curious.

He was curious about a lot of things concerning his mother, actually.

"The office called your father in," Valka said out of the blue, as Hiccup bent down and began untying his shoes. "He should be back in an hour or so. He wanted me to let you know."

"Oh, thanks." Hiccup was no stranger to his father being called out at random times. Actually, it felt almost normal.

What _didn't_ feel normal, however, was receiving this information from his _mother_. Usually, his dad just left him a post-it-note on the door or texted him or something. But having his _mother_ tell him was...it was _strange._ It was completely _new_ to him.

But it wasn't exactly... _unpleasant,_ either.

He pulled off his shoes and his socks, first the right then the left - and then, his mother let out an inhuman shriek.

The sound was so jarring and sudden that Hiccup straightened up immediately, and Toothless let out a couple of confused, scared barks.

"What?" Hiccup said instantly, shocked - and a little bit scared, to be honest - out of his mind, taking a step towards his mother. "What's wrong?"

Valka was suddenly pale, all color drained from her face, and she was covering her mouth with her hands, looking like she wanted to scream again.

"Your leg," she gasped, eyes wide, staring down at Hiccup's exposed feet. Hiccup followed her gaze, and then mentally sighed to himself - both in relief that it wasn't some horrible thing his mother had shrieked over, and in disappointment at his own carelessness.

His prosthetic was exposed.

It wasn't necessarily a _bad_ thing that it was. It was just, he'd been hoping to tell his mother some other time, when they could sit down and he could explain that way something like this _wouldn't_ happen.

But he'd been so lost in his thoughts that he'd completely forgotten his prosthetic even _existed_.

And now, he had some explaining to do.

"Um...yeah," said Hiccup, straightening up and scratching the back of his head, embarrassed. Toothless had calmed down considerably now, and he nuzzled his nose into Hiccup's other hand, almost encouragingly. "I...I was hit by a car a while back, and they couldn't save it…"

His mother still hadn't moved from her earlier stance, and it put Hiccup a little on edge. He wished she would calm down. He didn't _want_ her getting worked up about this. He didn't like it when people made a big deal out of his prosthetic, even his own family. It made him feel out of place. He was used to the world was looking at him differently because he was an invalid, but it hurt to see his mother looking at him like that.

He didn't really know _why_ it hurt because it wasn't like he _knew_ his mother personally but it still _did_.

"I-It's no big deal, really," Hiccup tried with a shaky, fake laugh, willing to try _anything_ to make his mother stop looking at him like that. "I-It happened a long time ago so I'm used to it now-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. All at once, without warning, Valka surged forward and engulfed in a tight, almost _protective_ embrace.

He sucked in a sharp breath, cut off mid-ramble, and his mind went blank.

It wasn't like he'd never been hugged before, of course, but this caught him completely off-guard, and he didn't know what to do. His arms hung at his sides, limp and not knowing what to do. Should he hug back? Probably. But he didn't.

He'd been hugged by his father before on numerous occasions, and his father's embraces were always tight and unwavering, but there was something _different_ about being hugged by his mother.

He didn't know _what_ was different, only that it _was_.

There was something... _special_ about being hugged by his mother. Sure, his father's hugs were special, too, for different reasons. His parents' hugs were unique and special in their own ways.

But…

...This was the first time he'd been hugged by his mother.

And...he realized he wanted this more often. He _wanted_ to be hugged by his mother; he _wanted_ his parents to be happy; he _wanted_ to know more about his mom, know what foods she liked, her favorite colors, her hobbies…

He _wanted_ to be a family. And now they _could_ be a family. Now they _were_ a family.

After all this time...after so many long, painful years... _they were finally a family again_.

It took him another few moments before he realized Valka was crying. She was crying, holding him impossibly tight and then tighter, and he could tell she, too, was relishing in this moment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered shakily against his hair. "I'm so, so _sorry_ , Hiccup. I'm sorry I wasn't here. I'm sorry. _I'm sorry_."

No matter how many times she said it, it seemed she could never say it enough, because she kept repeating the mantra over and over, a string of _I'm sorrys_ and _please forgive me_ , even though Hiccup had forgiven her the moment she walked through their front door.

He brought his arms up, embracing her back - embracing his mother for the first time.

Time froze in that moment, and nothing else mattered. _Nothing else mattered_ , at all. In that moment - if just for a moment - it was only Valka and Hiccup, mother and son, standing in their first embrace.

This moment was something Hiccup would never forget. He would hold onto this moment with both hands and never let go. He knew he'd look back on this in years to come as well, knew that this moment would hold a special place in his heart forever.

And he knew his mother felt the same way.

Hiccup didn't know how long they were standing there like that - it could have been anywhere between five minutes and fifty - but finally, they both pulled back, and Valka held Hiccup at arm's length by his shoulders, staring intently into his eyes. Her eyes still sparkled with unshed tears, but there was determination in her stare.

"I wasn't there for you before," she said firmly, squeezing his shoulders, "but I'm here now. I promise you, Hiccup, I'm going to be here for you from here on out. Anything at all, it doesn't matter what. I'm going to be here for you."

Hiccup smiled back, his eyes stinging faintly. "I know," he said.

And that was it. That was all that needed to be said between them. Valka smiled, gave him a kiss on the forehead, and he headed upstairs to his room with Toothless to get ready for bed.

His mind was made up now.

Any doubts he'd had before were squashed entirely.

He was going to track down Drago Bludvist, whether or not his friends helped him, and whether or not his parents approved.

Because for the first time since before Hiccup could remember, his family was whole. His mother was here, his father was happy, and so was Hiccup. They were finally, _finally_ , at long, long last, a family again.

And Hiccup wasn't going to let anyone - _anyone_ , least of all _Drago Bludvist_ \- get in the way of that.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **So it HAS been a while…*looks at smudged handwriting on wrist*...yeah way back in December...that was a long time ago...I can't believe it's already the last day of January I mean** _ **where is 2017 going!?**_

 **BUT however I do have some GOOD news regarding how fast this year is flying by - it means we're that much closer to the next season of Race to the Edge, which will be on Netflix** **February 17th** **(according to Berk's Grapevine). So that's something to look forward to (even though I'm still not caught up on the most recently aired season... :/)**

 **OH and another update that'll probably make a lot of you upset if you don't already know: How to Train Your Dragon 3 has been pushed back another year. It's release date as of now is** **March 1st, 2019** **(also according to Berk's Grapevine).**

 **At this rate we ain't gettin' HTTYD3 until like 2048 so I mean whatever. But we DID get a new teaser description along with the delay, so I mean…**

 **Teaser Description:** _ **"As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless' discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup's reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind."**_

 **So there's that. You can all scream along with me now. Whether or not this is legit or not I still don't know, but if you don't believe me you can always check Berk's Grapevine yourself. It's a great site; you guys should all check it out if you want updates on what Dreamworks is doing with the Dragons franchise.**

 **Anyways, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING AND STICKING WITH THIS STORY YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL AMAZING PEOPLE AND I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! :D :D :D Until next time (even though I've got no idea when that'll be...XD)**

 **Cheers! *hands out sparkling cider to everyone***

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


	25. On the Radio

**Hi guys! Sorry for disappearing! A lot of stuff happened (see bottom author's note for more detail about a lot of stuff) but here's a new update! I know it's short, and I'm really sorry, but I'm really sick right now (not really "sick" but my migraines are killing me right about now - my mom actually considered driving me to the hospital the other night because of how bad they got). So right now I'm feeling really run-down.**

 **But I wanted to post this, 'cause you guys are amazing and deserve a chapter. :) Thank you all for your continued support and I love you all very, very much! :) Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 25: ON THE RADIO/THE OUTCASTS**_

 **DAY: APRIL 23  
** **TIME: 4:34 PM  
** **YEAR: 2018**

"You're good, you're good, you're good, you're good, you're-"

 _CRACK!_

"Whoops! Too far!"

"DANGIT, TUFFNUT!" Snotlout shouted furiously, hopping out of the driver's seat, slamming the door shut behind him, and moving behind the van, where said Thorston twin stood, two glow sticks in hand. "YOU SAID I WAS GOOD!"

"Well, if _someone_ was better at backing up the van," said Tuffnut, pointing a glow stick at Snotlout accusingly, "we wouldn't _have_ this problem to begin with!"

"ARGH!" Snotlout yelled, burying his face in his hands. "WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS!?" he shouted to the heavens.

"Um, you _exist?"_ Ruffnut, who was standing nearby also with glow sticks, offered helpfully. "I mean, that's enough, isn't it?"

"I HATE YOU BOTH!" Snotlout proclaimed, and then knelt down, fastening the trailer to the hitch. "I swear, if this thing's screwed up because I banged into it, you two are going to be in _serious_ trouble."

"Well it's not _our_ fault you banged into it," said Tuffnut, scratching behind his ear with one of the glow sticks.

"YOU SAID YOU WOULD TELL ME WHEN TO STOP!" Snotlout reminded them angrily.

"And I did!" said Tuffnut. "I did exactly what I said I would do!"

"BUT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TELL ME _BEFORE_ I HIT THE TRAILER, YOU DUNDERHEAD!"

Tuffnut shrugged innocently. "We can forget the minor details, can't we?"

Snotlout put up one finger, opened his mouth, and then thought better of it. "One of these days," he muttered under his breath, fastening the trailer to the hitch on the back of their van, "one of these days, Tuffnut, I'm going to come after you. And no one's gonna find your body."

"Whoa," said Ruffnut. "Is that supposed to be threatening?"

"Well," said Tuffnut, crossing his arms firmly over his chest, "now we know whose sound to screw up tonight. Mr. Snottyface here is gonna be experiencing some _serious technical difficulties._ "

"We have a gig tonight," said Fishlegs, stepping out of Dragon's Edge HQ, his arms laden with chords and guitar straps. "It's important for us as a band, so please don't do anything that would ruin it, Tuffnut."

Tuffnut looked so disappointed it was hilarious. "But that's...that's not fair!" he objected, pointing a glow stick at Snotlout once again. " _He's_ the one who rammed the van into the trailer!"

"He did _what?"_ Astrid snapped furiously from behind Fishlegs. She was carrying her guitar in its case, wearing all her usual spikes and leather, looking just as intimidating as ever. She'd dyed a streak of her blonde hair neon blue for the occasion. "Snotlout, I swear, if you messed up our trailer-"

"I DIDN'T!" Snotlout said, springing backwards. "See!? It still latches on just fine - WAIT A MINUTE!" He realized just what it was he was saying. "Since when is this _MY_ fault!? _He's_ the one who did it!" He spun around, pointing his finger at Tuffnut.

(There was a lot of pointing going on this evening.)

"What? How _dare_ you blame me!" Tuffnut cried, holding his hands against his chest, looking saddened - though it was obviously fake, and almost looked _rehearsed_ , like he'd been training his whole life for this one moment. "You sadden me, Snotlout!"

"He has a point," said Fishlegs, opening the trailer and stoing away their cords. "You really need to stop blaming Tuffnut for everything, Snotlout. Take responsibility for your actions once in a while."

"IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH - you know what, nevermind!" Snotlout said, throwing his hands into the air. "I'm done! I'm done with every single one of you!"

"Looks like _someone's_ in a bad mood," muttered Ruffnut to her brother.

"I CAN HEAR YOU!" Snotlout yelled at them.

"Why are you guys yelling?" Hiccup questioned, emerging from Dragon's Edge HQ, carrying his drumsticks. Toothless would usually be skipping merrily at Hiccup's side with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, but right now, the border collie was with Hiccup's father for the evening at the Haddock family home.

Tonight was the night. Tonight, they played their first gig at The Outcasts night club, where they would hopefully meet Alvin the Treacherous and thereby gain information on the infamous serial killer, Drago Bludvist.

"The stupid twins are being stupid again!" Snotlout told Hiccup, pointing once more at the said Thorston twins.

"Look, Ruffnut! A dragonfly!" Tuffnut sang in awe, pointing to a bug flying overhead. "I want to touch it!"

"That's a mosquito," Fishlegs said, deadpan. "They suck your blood."

"Ooooh...I want to touch it even _more_ now!" said Tuffnut, starry-eyed. "But I want Ruffnut to touch it even _more_ …"

Ruffnut tackled Tuffnut to the ground, rolling around on the sidewalk with him while Hiccup and Astrid watched on, looking like they'd rather be anywhere else but here, and Fishlegs continued loading their stuff into the trailer like nothing was happening at all.

Snotlout, meanwhile, threw his hands into the air once more. "You're all dead to me," he said. "All of you. Except you, Hiccup, you're cool sometimes."

"You just need him 'cause he's our drummer," Astrid muttered, popping her gum between her teeth.

"Well _duh_."

When they finally managed to get the twins under control (or, under as much control as the twins could ever be, which was less than any of them would have liked), they loaded themselves into the van and started down the road, towards The Outcasts.

"So, we don't actually start playing until around six or seven-ish," Snotlout said, the van's radio playing quietly in the background, "so we should have plenty of time to set up. We probably won't meet up with Alvin until after the gig."

"So, how long are we playing for, Snotlout?" Fishlegs inquired.

"Eh, 'couple hours or so," said Snotlout with a shrug. "I think they said three hours when I was on the phone with their representative, but they said two would be fine tonight, since it's our first time playing over there."

"Did you send us the set list?" Tuffnut asked.

Snotlout sighed. "Yes," he said, sounding dead inside, "I did, at least seven times."

"Whoops. Didn't even notice. You sure you sent them?"

" _Yes, Tuffnut_."

"Geez. Don't sound so angry. It's not _my_ fault you didn't send us the set list-"

"I _DID_ SEND YOU THE FRIGGIN' SET LIST!"

"Oooh!" Ruffnut said, gasping. "Language, Snotlout!"

"I SAID FRIGGING!"

" _LANGUAGE!"_

"ACK!" Snotlout stopped at a red light and slammed his head on the steering wheel, inevitably activating the van's loud, blaring horn. He was honked at by three other cars before the light changed, and they continued down the road. "YOU ALL _SUCK!"_ Snotlout yelled.

Tuffnut hummed something under his breath, but it sounded suspiciously like "Laaannnnguuuaageee…"

They continued down the way for a little while longer in tense silence (no one really liked car trips filled with yelling, and any talking now would surely bring on another Snotlout-Yelling-Fest), listening to the radio; an alternative rock station that most of the members of Dragon's Edge enjoyed listening to (it was probably the only station they'd ever been able to agree on).

About mid-way through their drive, they caught the words of the radio's DJ between songs.

" _And next up we have the rising stars Dragon's Edge, whose first hit single just made it into the top ten list of most popular song!"_

"Wait, seriously!?" Tuffnut yelled, leaning forward. "We're in the top ten!?"

"No way!" Hiccup said, grinning. "Which song is it?"

Snotlout looked equally thrilled, and he turned up the radio's volume. "Here it comes, everybody!" he said. "Our first hit song!"

The DJ finished talking, and the song started.

A familiar drumbeat.

A familiar guitar intro.

And then…

"Oh no," Astrid groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You can't tell me...this isn't happening...how did _this_ become our hit single?"

The lyrics kicked in.

" _Astrid Hofferson lived down the block…"_

"DARN IT!" Astrid screeched, digging her fingers into her hair. "SNOTLOUT, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Shh!" Snotlout hissed, turning up the volume. "I'm _trying_ to listen to our hit single here!"

Tuffnut, sitting shotgun, was snapping his fingers and swaying along with the song. "This song's got a great beat to it!" he said, and then, he started singing along. " _Astrid Hofferson was still in denial, she threatened to delete her friends off of speed dial-"_

"You're _all_ going to _die-"_

"EVERYONE!" shouted Tuffnut, ignoring Astrid entirely - something one had to be either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid to do. "SING WITH ME!"

The chorus kicked in, and Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout sang, loudly and as off-key as they possibly could, "ASTRID HOFFERSON, ASTRID HOFFERSON, SHE IS ASTRID HOFFERSON!"

Astrid glared. "So what about _you_ , Hiccup?" she questioned, turning to the drummer sitting beside her. Hiccup was the only member thus far to not break into song. "Are _you_ going to join them, too?"

Hiccup blinked at her.

And then, he grinned fiendishly.

"She is Astrid Hofferson," Hiccup sang.

And Astrid smacked him. Hard.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **HEY GUYS! So sorry for not doing this sooner. I got into another fandom for a while and I've been feeling really sick lately (because of my migraines - they have a lot of bad side-effects, like nausea and dizzy spells etc., etc., etc.,) so I haven't been able to update this for a while. I'm really sorry.**

 **And it's a shorter chapter, too. I feel bad about that…**

 **The next chapter's gonna take place in The Outcast club (I can't remember if it was The Outcast or The Outcast** _ **s**_ **and I don't feel like going back and checking it right now, so I'll just have to fix that when I'm feeling better), so it should be pretty interesting. I dunno, that's up to you to decide.**

 **Anyways, sorry for the short chapter and the lack of updates. I'm gonna go to bed now 'cause I'm pretty sure I'll pass out if I don't. If you found any typos in this chapter, just ignore them; I'll go back later when my headache stops and fix them.**

 **Thank you all so much for your support on this story! I love you all!**

 **Oh, and final announcement: I'm seriously considering getting back to writing HTTYD fanfics full-time again, maybe doing another B season or finishing season 3B and 1B. I haven't had a chance to watch the new episodes, though, and I've had a lot of sick days lately, so we'll see how it goes.**

 **That's all! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! :)**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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